2017 fantasy football bye week implications

It’s data you are not supposed to weigh too heavily in your draft, but completely ignoring bye weeks can put you in a tough spot. This is an especially troubling issue if your league doesn’t offer much bench space. The practice of trying to decide who to jettison and then praying they aren’t claimed on waivers the following week is not for the faint of heart.

The following is a list of the 2017 NFL season bye weeks and the relevant fantasy players who will be sitting out. I’ll draw your attention to Weeks 8, 9, and 11 around when we will be approaching the final weeks of fantasy’s regular season. A combined 17 teams will be off these weeks, with big names like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, David Johnson, Melvin Gordon, Antonio Brown, T.Y. Hilton, and Greg Olsen. That’s going to be a difficult stretch for everyone, but a little preparation will give you an advantage.

Week 5 – Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins

Quarterbacks: Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Kirk Cousins

Running Backs: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Jamaal Charles, C.J. Anderson, Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, Robert Kelley

Receivers: Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder

Tight Ends: Austin Hooper, Coby Fleener, Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis

Week 6 – Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

Quarterbacks: Tyrod Taylor, Andy Dalton, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson

Running Backs: LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Hill, Joe Mixon, Ezekiel Elliot and Eddie Lacy

Receivers: Sammy Watkins, A.J. Green, Dez Bryant and Doug Baldwin

Tight Ends: Tyler Eifert, Jason Witten, and Jimmy Graham

Week 7 – Detroit Lions, Houston Texans

Quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford

Running Backs: Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and Lamar Miller

Receivers: Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins

Tight Ends: Eric Ebron and C.J. Fiedorowicz

Week 8 – Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks: Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning and Marcus Mariota

Running Backs: David Johnson, Ty Montgomery, Todd Gurley, Paul Perkins, DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry

Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Rishard Matthews

Tight Ends: Martellus Bennett, Evan Engram, and Delanie Walker

Week 9 – Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarterbacks: Philip Rivers, Sam Bradford, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger

Running Backs: Jordan Howard, Isaiah Crowell, Melvin Gordon, Mike Gillislee, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, and Le’Veon Bell

Receivers: Cameron Meredith, Kenny Britt, Corey Coleman, Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Stefon Diggs, Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Antonio Brown, and Martavis Bryant

Tight Ends: David Njoku, Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Kyle Rudolph, and Rob Gronkowski

Week 10 – Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz

Running Backs: Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, Kenneth Dixon, Spencer Ware, Marshawn Lynch, LeGarrette Blount, and Darren Sproles

Receivers: Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin, Tyreek Hill, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Alshon Jeffery, and Jordan Matthews

Tight Ends: Travis Kelce, Jared Cook and Zach Ertz

Week 11 – Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterbacks: Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, Brian Hoyer, and Jameis Winston

Running Backs: Christian McCaffery, Jonathan Stewart, Frank Gore, Jay Ajayi, Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, Carlos Hyde, and Doug Martin

Receivers: Kelvin Benjamin, T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Quincy Enunwa, Pierre Garcon, Mike Evans, and DeSean Jackson

Tight Ends: Greg Olsen, Jack Doyle, Julius Thomas, Cameron Brate, and O.J. Howard