fantasy-football-manager

NFL Fantasy Football
2013 Player Bye Weeks

Each NFL team plays 16 games out of 17 weeks in the NFL schedule. The game that they don't play is called their bye week, or "Open Date". It is important in fantasy football to make sure that your starters and backups do not have the same bye week since one of the primary reasons for drafting backup players to have coverage during the bye week of your starter.

The bye week for each team will be somewhere between Week 4 and Week 12 of the NFL schedule. One thing that I would like to point out is that not every Bye Week has 4 teams off anymore. Some weeks of the schedule only have 2 teams off (Weeks 4, 6, 7 and 11). Other weeks have as many as 6 teams resting (Weeks 8 and 9). Weeks 5, 10 and 12 have 4 teams on byes.

You will really have to watch that you do not get too many of your starters with the Week 8 or 9 byes. Most FFLs are become very competitve and you may not make the playoffs if you have a down week or two. Combined with scouting the waiver wire, getting easy matchups in these Bye Weeks is the easiest way to secure a winning record.

As always, make sure you don't load up on any one bye week. If you do, not only will you lose that game, but a bad scoring week may also affect the tie breaker (which is usually total fantasy points scored).

 

Teams
Week 4

Green Bay Packers; Caronlina Panthers

Key Players - Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Randall Cobb,
Jordy Nelson, Steve Smith, Eddie Lacy,
James Jones, DeAngelo Williams, Greg Olsen,
Jermichael Finley, Jonathan Stewart

Bye Week 4 Alternatives:
QBs - Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning
RBs - Vick Ballard, Andre Brown, Bernard Pierce
WRs - Brian Hartline, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Emmanuel Sanders
TEs - Brent Celek, James Casey, Marcedes Lewis

Week 5

Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins

Key Players - Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris,
Vincent Jackson, Robert Griffin III, Pierre Garcon,
Antoino Brown, Greg Jennings, Mike Williams,
Kyle Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, Emmanuel Sanders,
Fred Davis, Josh Freeman

Bye Week 5 Alternatives:
QBs - Jay Cutler, Jake Locker, Phillip Rivers
RBs - Ryan Mathews, DeAngelo Williams, Daryl Richardson
WRs - Denarius Moore, Rueben Randle, Sidney Rice
TEs - Martellus Bennett, Eifert/Gresham, Zach Miller

Week 6

Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins

Key Players - Steven Jackson, Julio Jones, Roddy White,
Matt Ryan, Lamar Miller, Mike Wallace, Tony Gonzalez,
Jacquizz Rodgers, Brian Hartline, Ryan Tannehill

Bye Week 6 Alternatives:
QBs - Josh Freeman, Phillip Rivers, Alex Smith
RBs - BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Ryan Mathews, Shane Vereen
WRs - Miles Austin, Josh Gordon, Lance Moore
TEs - Jake Ballard, Fred Davis, Marcedes Lewis

Week 7

Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints

Key Players - Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham,
Darren McFadden, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles,
Mark Ingram, Lance Moore, Denarius Moore,
Pierre Thomas, Marcel Reece

Bye Week 7 Alternatives:
QBs - Andy Dalton, Eli Manning, Matt Schaub
RBs - Eddy Lacy, Kendall Hunter, Ryan Mathews
WRs - Anquan Boldin, Santonio Holmes, Rueben Randle
TEs - Martellus Bennett, Brent Celek, Jacob Tamme

Week 8

Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts,
San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans

Key Players - Arian Foster, Ray Rice, Brandon Marshall,
Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne,
Andrew Luck, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ryan Matthews,
Torrey Smith, Danario Alexander, TY Hilton, Kenny Britt,
Vick Ballard, Owen Daniels, Antonio Gates, Bernard Pierce,
Martellus Bennett, Kendall Wright, Ben Tate, Joe Flacco,
Vincent Brown

Bye Week 8 Alternatives:
QBs - Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Alex Smith
RBs - Kendall Hunter, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Fred Jackson
WRs - Anquan Boldin, Aaron Dobson, Julian Edleman
TEs - Jake Ballard, Scott Chandler

Week 9

Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New York Giants,
Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers,
Jacksonville Jaguars

Key Players - Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas,
Maurice Jones-Drew, Peyton Manning, Larry Fitzgerald,
Frank Gore, Victor Cruz, Reggie Bush, David Wilson,
Wes Welker, Colin Kaepernick, Montee Ball,
Matthew Stafford, Hakeem Nicks, Eric Decker, Vernon Davis,
Cecil Shorts, Rashard Mendenhall, Eli Manning,
Andre Brown, Anquan Boldin, Mikel Leshoure,
Brandon Myers, Justin Blackmon, 49ers D

Bye Week 9 Alternatives:
QBs - Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub
RBs - Bryce Brown, Fred Jackson, Daryl Richardson
WRs - Miles Austin, Santonio Holmes, DeAndre Hopkins
TEs - Jake Ballard, Owen Daniels, Heath Miller

Week 10

Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Cheifs,
New England Patriots, New York Jets

Key Players - Jamaal Charles, Trent Richardson,
Stevan Ridley, Tom Brady, Dwayne Bowe, Rob Gronkowski,
Chris Ivory, Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen, Josh Gordon,
Santonio Holmes

Bye Week 10 Alternatives:
QBs - Sam Bradford, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning
RBs - Andre Brown, Joseph Randle, Daryl Richardson
WRs - Miles Austin, Kenny Britt, DeAndre Hopkins
TEs - Fred Davis, Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen, Marcedes Lewis

Week 11

Dallas Cowboys, St Louis Rams

Key Players - Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Jason Witten,
Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Tavon Austin, Isaiah Pead,
Jared Cook, Daryl Richardson, Chris Givens

Bye Week 11 Alternatives:
QBs - Andy Dalton, Matt Schaub, Ryan Tannehill
RBs - Vick Ballard, Kendall Hunter, Rashard Mendenhall
WRs - Anquan Boldin, Kenny Britt, Emmanuel Sanders
TEs - Brent Celek, Coby Fleener, Greg Olsen

Week 12

Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals,
Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks

Key Players - CJ Spiller, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy,
AJ Green, Russel Wilson, Stevie Johnson,
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, DeSean Jackson, Giovani Bernard,
Bryce Brown, Fred Jackson, Michael Vick,
Golden Tate, Seattle D

Bye Week 12 Alternatives:
QBs - Jay Cutler, Jake Locker, Philip Rivers
RBs - Vick Ballard, Jacquizz Rodgers, Ben Tate
WRs - Anquan Boldin, Malcom Floyd, Denarius Moore
TEs - Martellus Bennett, Brandon Myers, Jacob Tamme