If byes caused problems for fantasy football managers last week, just wait until they see what this week has in store.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Rams won’t play in Week 6. That means stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson, Kyren Williams, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce — among others — won’t suit up.
Of course, that’s just the reality of fantasy football. You need depth on your roster, and you must be able to adapt when facing adversity. Roll with the punches.
With all that said, let’s look at some of the top fantasy bye week replacements to target on the waiver wire.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and Sam Darnold on byes, you might need a quarterback this week. Fortunately, some good options could be available, including Caleb Williams and Kirk Cousins.
But we’re going with Trevor Lawrence, who’s owned in fewer leagues than those two and is coming off his best game of the season.
Lawrence threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns to go along with one pick in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ season-saving win over the Indianapolis Colts. He also took zero sacks a week after taking just one, continuing an encouraging trend after taking 11 combined sacks in the first three weeks.
Lawrence still isn’t offering any value as a rusher — just 11 combined yards in the last three weeks — but he’s making up for it with downfield shots.
Brian Thomas Jr. reached a top speed of 22.15 mph on his 85-yard TD reception from Trevor Lawrence, the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season, and the fastest play by a Jaguars ball carrier in the NGS era (since 2016).
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— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 6, 2024
Yeah, Lawrence faces a tough Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears defense. But give him a shot and hope he turned a corner last week.
Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets
Allen Lazard certainly shouldn’t be the top receiver in your lineup. And he isn’t a No. 2, either. But if you need to fill a Flex spot after promoting one of your depth receivers, consider adding Lazard.
The veteran receiver caught just four balls for 34 yards in the Jets’ loss to the Vikings on Sunday, but he also caught a touchdown and saw 10 targets from Aaron Rodgers, who targeted Garrett Wilson a whopping 22 times.
Lazard should be heavily involved when the Jets face the Buffalo Bills next Monday night. He averaged 6.8 targets per game and eclipsed 48 yards three times in the first five weeks.
Don’t expect huge production from Lazard, but feel confident he’ll give you at least 10 fantasy points.
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby was owned in just 9.5% of ESPN leagues at the end of Week 5, but that could change this week.
After rushing seven times for 90 yards in Week 4, Bigsby gashed the Colts for 101 yards (including a 65-yarder) and two touchdowns on 13 carries. He also rushed for 73 yards in the season opener before posting consecutive duds.
If you’ve watched Bigsby this season, you know he’s very difficult to tackle.
Tank Bigsby lol pic.twitter.com/ovW4GaUWZZ
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 7, 2024
Obviously, starting him would be risky, considering we don’t know how the Jaguars will use Travis Etienne Jr. But Bigsby saw more touches than Etienne in Week 5, including in the fourth quarter.
Bigsby might not be Jacksonville’s top back just yet — but he’s close.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Once again, tight end is a black hole in fantasy football. Once you get past the elite options (of which there are few), there’s a whole lot of meh.
In a perfect world, Cade Otton wouldn’t be in your lineup. After all, we’re talking about a tight end who didn’t reach the end zone in the first five weeks and totaled just six scores over his first two seasons.
Nevertheless, the Buccaneers’ tight end has established a reliable floor that might be all you need in a pinch. Take a look at his last three performances.
Week 3: seven catches on eight targets for 47 yards
Week 4: six catches on nine targets for 52 yards
Week 5: three catches on four targets for 44 yards
Those aren’t TE1 numbers, but they aren’t far off. And with Cotton receiving a decent target share from Baker Mayfield, it’s fair to envision a breakout performance soon.
The Bucs will visit the Saints on Sunday. New Orleans will likely focus on stopping Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, potentially opening the door for Otton to feast on underneath throws.