Looking for a few good byes

It seems we’ve just gotten our starting lineups settled, and already we have to start juggling them with the onset of the 2011 bye-week schedule.

From this weekend through Week 8, six teams will take a breather. In Weeks 9 and 11, four teams will be off. For some reason, the byes get a bye in Week 10.

Last season, the open dates started and ended a week earlier; but only two weekends featured as many as six resting teams. This year’s schedule, with four consecutive weeks of six-team byes, could raise roster shuffling to an art form.

We’ll get our feet wet this weekend with a modest slate of inactives from the Ravens, Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Rams and Redskins. Frankly, Ray Rice’s owners may be the only ones significantly inconvenienced in Week 5.

The schedule gets a little tougher in Week 6, before packing a wallop in Week 7, when the Patriots, Eagles, Bills, Giants, 49ers and Bengals enjoy a respite.

Of course, the bye-week scratches only worsen the toll that injuries have already taken on fantasy rosters. If we’re not careful, some of us may be starting Blaine Gabbert and a pack of gypsies later this month.

The moral of this story? Don’t wait until the weekend to evaluate your starting options. Moreover, it’s not too early to plan ahead for a week when your lineup will be more significantly taxed. Waiting until the last minute will only narrow your options.


FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can


Matt Hassebeck, QB, Titans. I was reluctant to recommend him after Kenny Britt bit the dust; but Hasselbeck barely missed a beat against a Cleveland secondary that has been surprisingly stout. Still available in the vast majority of leagues – despite being the eighth-ranked fantasy QB in the land – Hasselbeck can be the answer to your bye-week and injury conundrums.

Ryan Torain, RB, Redskins. True to form, head coach Mike Shanahan has started shaking up his running back corps. While none of us should be shocked that Tim Hightower’s role as the Redskins’ lead back was short-lived, Ryan Torain seemed the odd man out while rookie Roy Helu was being eased into the rotation. Yet after his 135-yard, one-touchdown effort Sunday, the oft-injured Torain heads into his bye week as the team’s featured rusher. For now, anyway.

Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots. When in doubt, grab a Patriot. The rookie third-rounder out of LSU has been steadily worked into the backfield rotation, mostly at the expense of the diminutive Danny Woodhead. On Sunday, Ridley racked up 97 yards, including a 33-yard scoring scamper. He’s worth a bench spot for now, in the event he emerges as the team’s featured back. BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ role is hardly set in stone.

Isaac Redman, RB, Steelers. If Rashard Mendenhall misses time with his hamstring injury, Redman will share carries with fellow backup Mewelde Moore. Both have played sparingly this season, but Redman is the preferred handcuff as he is the more likely candidate for goal-line carries. With Ben Roethlisberger (foot) also in jeopardy of sitting out a game or two, healthy runners will be even more integral to Pittsburgh’s success.

Don’t be fooled


Laurent Robinson, WR, Cowboys. Since he entered the league in 2007, Robinson has failed to live up to expectations; which is why he’s no longer catching passes in Atlanta or St. Louis. Now, just as he could be on the verge of shedding his underachiever label, Dallas heads into its bye week. When they return, Miles Austin should be back on the field, and Robinson will once again be an afterthought.

Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones, WRs, Texans. You’d think one or both of these guys would step up if Andre Johnson misses time with his hamstring injury. Yet neither caught a pass on Sunday, and both have been remarkably inconsistent and unreliable throughout their careers. Arian Foster and TE Owen Daniels will have to pick up the slack.

Bye weeks get dicier after Week 3’s injuries

The annual bane of fantasy players returns this weekend with the first of seven consecutive bye weeks on the NFL schedule. Four teams – the Cowboys, Chiefs, Vikings and Bucs – get an early breather in Week 4, with the Dolphins, Patriots, Steelers and Seahawks on deck.

As if it wasn’t going to be tough enough to fill the voids left by our idled stars, Week 3 delivered another wicked round of injuries to a parade of fantasy stalwarts, including Steven Jackson (groin), Jahvid Best (toe), Ray Rice (knee), Cedric Benson (leg), Pierre Thomas (ankle), Andre Johnson (ankle), Jason Witten (knee) and Visanthe Shiancoe (leg).

Fortunately, none of those players currently appears at risk of missing more than a game or two, if that. But when you combine their potential absences with the bye-week scratches and the previously wounded – including Ryan Grant, Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Mathews, Jerome Harrison, Reggie Bush and Pierre Garcon – it’s enough to make even the cockiest fantasy owners mimic “The Scream” by Edvard Munch.

Indeed, waiver wires will be humming over the next few days, as several promising free agents are snapped up for spot or long-term duty. Don’t wait until the weekend to prepare for your next matchup, or you may find yourself screaming again.

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, you need to start with a good draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents can also make a big difference. Here’s a look at several players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else’s line-up.

Catch ‘em while you can

Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Raiders. Teams looking for a quick fix while Tony Romo and Brett Favre rest could do much worse than Gradkowski, who played well enough to win against the Cardinals in his first start of the season Sunday. He’ll face off against the visiting Texans, who have surrendered a league-worst 1,143 passing yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions to Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Romo over the first three games.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Patriots. On Friday, I told you to watch him. Now it’s time to grab him. The third-year back posted 98 yards and a touchdown on 16 rushes against Buffalo, effectively distancing himself from the remaining competition in New England’s backfield. Fred Taylor’s toe injury – the severity of which is still uncertain – adds further luster to Green-Ellis’ rising star.

Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns. His bravado performance against a tough Ravens run defense proved that he is indeed ready to be the workhorse back in Cleveland’s offense. Though Jerome Harrison (thigh) could return this weekend, Hillis – who is still available in roughly 30 percent of fantasy leagues – is clearly the preferred option.

Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens. If Ray Rice’s knee injury costs him playing time, McGahee is in line for a heavier workload. He rushed six times for 25 yards in the fourth quarter after Rice left Sunday’s game. He’s available in roughly a third of fantasy leagues; so Rice’s owners, especially, should grab McGahee as insurance.

Lance Moore, WR, Saints. With a 149-yard, two-touchdown outburst against the Falcons, Moore served notice that he is back with a vengeance and ready to reclaim his role as one of Drew Brees’ most reliable targets. With Bush lost for several more weeks, Robert Meachem pulling another disappearing act, and Devery Henderson remaining one of the most inconsistent wideouts in Fantasyland, Moore should be snapped up immediately.

Dustin Keller, TE, Jets. Clearly in sync with his young and improving quarterback, Keller now trails only Antonio Gates among tight ends after his prolific Sunday night performance. Keller has emerged as an elite option and yet he’s still available in half of fantasy leagues. Not for long.

Don’t be fooled

Kenneth Darby, RB, Rams. He played well after Steven Jackson suffered a groin injury; but if the starter can’t return this weekend, Darby is unlikely to reap the benefits. The team has already contacted free agent Larry Johnson, and they will surely consider other options before making a final decision. If Johnson gets the nod, he becomes a marginally intriguing pickup.

Maurice Morris and Kevin Smith, RBs, Lions. Rookie sensation Jahvid Best sprained his toe Sunday, but the injury is not considered serious. If he misses time, neither Morris, who took over after Best’s departure, nor Smith, who has yet to suit up this year while still recovering from knee and shoulder surgeries, would offer much hope for replicating Best’s production.

Roy Williams, WR, Cowboys. Why race to acquire a player whose first great week in a Dallas uniform was wasted on the bench of virtually every fantasy team that owned him? Williams will remain a starter in Dallas’ pass-heavy offense, but I’d bet on the Chiefs finishing 16-0 before Williams out-shines Miles Austin and Dez Bryant again.

Vincent Jackson, WR, Chargers. Now that the deadline has passed for Jackson to secure a trade that would reduce his suspension to four weeks – and with the bye weeks upon us – few teams have the luxury of carrying his dead weight any longer. Feel free to waive him for a player that actually plays.

Garrett Hartley, K, Saints. After missing what amounted to an extra point-length field goal in overtime, Hartley could soon be looking for work. Two misses in Week 1 nearly cost the Saints their opening game, but his latest whiff was devastating. John Carney has a leg up (sorry) on the competition, having filled in well during (and after) Hartley’s suspension last season.