There are a lot of underlying factors that come into play during your fantasy football draft. Drafting a running back may warrant picking up that player's backup to avoid being handcuffed. Injury risks or lingering ailments may also keep fantasy owners looking over their shoulder throughout a season. When you consider everything else weighing on your fantasy decision, it's no surprise that bye weeks are oftentimes at the bottom of your priority list.
It's rare that a bye week can decimate your fantasy season. In fact, it's almost not worth dwelling on as you assemble your roster. However, it shouldn't be completely overlooked.
As you enter your fantasy draft, awareness is the key. Don't let a bye week scare you from drafting a player that could be the difference maker on your roster, but don't completely ignore your bye weeks. It's important to be prepared. Have some idea of how you want to handle your player's bye week, and adjust accordingly.
Bye weeks begin in Week 4 of the 2015 season and end after Week 11. We're here to break down the key players for each week.
Week 4: Patriots, Titans
Quarterbacks: Marcus Mariota, Tom Brady (returns from suspension in Week 5)
Running backs: LeGarrette Blount, Bishop Sankey,
Wide receivers: Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Kendall Wright
Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski, Delanie Walker
Week 5: Panthers, Dolphins, Vikings, Jets
Quarterbacks: Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater
Running backs: Adrian Peterson, Lamar Miller, Jonathan Stewart
Wide receivers: Kelvin Benjamin, Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Eric Decker
Tight ends: Greg Olsen, Jordan Cameron, Kyle Rudolph
Week 6: Cowboys, Raiders, Rams, Buccaneers
Quarterbacks: Tony Romo
Running backs: Latavius Murray, Joseph Randle, Todd Gurley, Tre Mason
Wide receivers: Dez Bryant, Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, Vincent Jackson
Tight ends: Jason Witten
Week 7: Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Packers
Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton
Running backs: Eddie Lacy, C.J. Anderson, Matt Forte, Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard
Wide receivers: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, A.J. Green, Alshon Jeffery
Tight ends: Martellus Bennett, Owen Daniels, Tyler Eifert
Week 8: Bills, Jaguars, Eagles, Redskins
Quarterbacks: Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III
Running backs: DeMarco Murray, LeSean McCoy, Alfred Morris, T.J. Yeldon
Wide receivers: Jordan Matthews, DeSean Jackson, Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson, Pierre Garcon, Nelson Agholor
Tight ends: Julius Thomas, Zach Ertz
Week 9: Cardinals, Ravens, Lions, Texans, Chiefs, Seahawks
Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer
Running backs: Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Andre Ellington, Joique Bell, Alfred Blue
Wide receivers: Calvin Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Golden Tate, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Larry Fitzgerald
Tight ends: Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce
Week 10: Falcons, Colts, Chargers, 49ers
Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick
Running backs: Frank Gore, Melvin Gordon, Carlos Hyde
Wide receivers: Julio Jones, Andre Johnson, TY Hilton, Keenan Allen, Roddy White, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith
Tight ends: Dwayne Allen, Antonio Gates
Week 11: Browns, Saints, Giants, Steelers
Quarterbacks: Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning
Running backs: Le'Veon Bell, Mark Ingram, Rashad Jennings, C.J. Spiller
Wide receivers: Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Martavis Bryant, Marques Colston, Victor Cruz
Tight ends: Josh Hill