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We made it to October. And we made it to Bye Week Season. The form of fantasy soccer is about to alter.
Each fantasy supervisor feels they drafted a contending squad in the summertime. However when October rolls round, it is time for some unemotional self-scouting. Perhaps you are on the high of your standings, with a wholesome roster and a clicking sleeper or two. Maybe you are coping with harm and underperformance, nonetheless on the lookout for a win. And possibly you are caught within the center someplace.
Regardless of the scenario, it is time to put in some work and give you a plan.
👉 The place to start out
Do an in depth audit of the league: Who’s the league favourite in the meanwhile? Who’s bought probably the most injury-riddled roster or the heaviest group of expertise sitting in Week 5? And most significantly, the place do you slot in the league? Most groups have related objectives in August and September, however strategic paths begin to diverge now.
Decide a lane: Are you targeted on now or later? In the event you’re that 4-0 juggernaut, you will have the luxurious of planning additional forward than most groups. Perhaps you are the membership that speculates on a high-upside operating again who’s a number of weeks away; you will have the leverage to be affected person. Perhaps you are the supervisor who trades for some star gamers who’ve an upcoming bye.
Groups caught on one win or zero wins may need to downshift to “win now” mode. The Eagles do not play in Week 5 — possibly you may’t wait on A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. Perceive this isn’t a mandate to commerce star gamers frivolously. Nonetheless do your league diligence, make certain everybody is aware of star expertise is obtainable. However a poor September means it’s important to prioritize righting the ship proper now.
🤔 Bye Week administration is more durable — however that is good
Your beginning lineup for the following two months is perhaps slightly weaker than it was in the course of the bye-free September month, however I like this time of 12 months as a result of it makes us contemplate extra gamers and negotiate more durable selections. The extra selections a league places on us, the extra probably talent is prone to be mirrored.
🤝 Perceive Bye Week Season = Buying and selling Season
Managers are much more incentivized to make trades in October, with some separation within the standings and accidents beginning to pile up. The bye weeks are an additional elixir right here. A poker sport does not actually begin till some persons are up cash and some persons are caught. The identical idea applies right here.
🗓️ Spend a second auditing the bye-week schedule
The NFL normally does not assemble uniform bye weeks, a unusual reality of life that is slightly irritating. Over the following 10 weeks, the variety of groups on bye will fluctuate. In a few weeks, no person sits. Some weeks, two groups relaxation. There are a handful of weeks that put 4 groups on vacation, and in Weeks 12 and Weeks 14, a whopping six groups do not play.
The 2 “skinny byes” are in Week 7 (Bears, Cowboys) and Week 9 (Steelers, 49ers). Key gamers from these groups supply some sneaky utility, as a result of they will be in play for the opposite weeks when the bye weeks are heavier. It is a lower-end tie-break, however I like rostering some gamers who take pleasure in this delicate benefit.
