Bye weeks are an unfortunate byproduct (or bye-product) of fantasy football. And navigating them takes some skill and balance whether you are playing in a season-long fantasy football league or daily fantasy football.
There are two basic considerations when dealing with fantasy football bye weeks.
- How much do you need to win now?
- How likely are you to win your match this week?
If you don’t need to win now, then keep an eye on the players below who let you win for the future. If you do need to win now, then you just need the highest potential point scorers for week 10. And if you are likely to win or running even with your opponent’s projected points, then a lower variance more predictable player should be perfect.
But if you are projected to lose and lagging your opponent, then try someone a bit higher variance with a higher ceiling, but lower floor. It won’t matter if the floor hits and you still lose (a loss is a loss), but if the ceiling hits, you could steal a win from a superior opponent.
See the best week 10 fantasy football pickups to add to your SmashUp lineup below.
Tank Dell
Frank the Tank Dell started was heating up earlier in the season and looked was a trendy pickup. His momentum slowed due to injury and it has taken a couple of weeks to round back into form. But he exploded onto the scene last week. Of course, the surface level numbers were great (11 targets, 6 receptions, 144 yards, and two touchdowns). But the underlying metrics were strong as well.
Week 9
Snap percent: 85%
Target Share: 26%
aDOT: 20.2
Catch percent: 54.5%
If he is still available in your league or at a cheap enough price point for Daily Fantasy, he makes a strong potential play against a Bengals team with tons of firepower where the Texans may end up throwing the ball a lot.
Demario Douglas
Super Demario Douglas (ok, maybe cheesy, but you know the theme song is running through your head) has become the Patriots default number one option with Bourne on the shelf. His advanced metrics show he is carving out what could be a sustainable role. The one semi-red flag is you would like to see Douglas have a higher target share, but he is clearly in the game and serving as a safety valve for Jones. As they continue to build chemistry, Douglas may not have the ceiling of someone like Tank Dell, but he could be a useful starter, especially filling in for bye weeks.
Week 9
Snap percent: 83%
Target Share: 16%
aDOT: 6.9
Catch percent: 71.4%
Noah Brown
Noah Brownout is another player who has been coming on strong in recent weeks and seeing his role increase. Brown’s biggest downside is he is likely to be squarely behind Nico Collins and Tank Dell and fighting with Dalton Schultz for targets. However, he still makes an intriguing upside play, while also offering more upside if any of those other receivers get hurt.
Week 9
Snap percent: 72%
Target Share: 14%
aDOT: 12.5
Catch percent: 100%
Zach Carbonnet
Zach Sparkling Charbonnet is starting to slowly eat into Walker’s snaps and production with the Seahawks. Given the talent Seattle has in the backfield and their receivers, Charbonnet may have a hard time having standalone value for now. But if Seattle has an injury or two that either makes him the clear cut number 1 back or forces them to lean more heavily on the run, Charbonnet has the talent to really help fantasy teams.
Week 9
Snap percent: 55%
Yards per run: 2.0
Yards after contact: 0.5
Catch percent: 100%
Josh Dobbs
Finally, for those in need of a QB, Josh “The Passtronaut” Dobbs, may have solidified his foothold in Minnesota with Cousins out. Yes, if you are a Vikings fan, you love that he secured a win with a heroic performance. However, if you are a fantasy owners, you should be intrigued by his upside as a passer and runner. And when Justin Jefferson returns, Dobbs will have access to a far better arsenal of receivers than he ever had in Arizona. No, Dobbs isn’t perfect. But if you have a bye week, are facing injuries, are in a two quarterback (superflex) league or are looking for a bargain in Daily Fantasy Football, Dobbs could be the perfect option.
Week 9
Completion percentage: 66.7%
Adjusted yards per attempt: 6.60
Yards per rush: 9.4
Bad Throw percent: 6.9%
All data from Pro Football Reference