Fantasy: Quarterback bye-week replacement guide
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.
Bye weeks shouldn't be a major concern when selecting a fantasy quarterback, but you should keep them in mind to avoid being left empty-handed when your QB1 is unavailable.
Consider this an early cheat sheet. It shows which quarterbacks you should target on the waiver wire in the weeks leading up to your starter's bye.
We took into account how the potential replacements should fare in 2020, how opposing defenses performed against fantasy quarterbacks last year, and how those defenses may improve heading into this season.
You can view our complete fantasy quarterback rankings here.
Week 5
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | Jimmy Garoppolo vs. MIA |
| Matthew Stafford | Teddy Bridgewater at ATL |
| Sam Darnold vs. ARI | |
| Philip Rivers at CLE | |
| Gardner Minshew at HOU | |
| Derek Carr at KC | |
| Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert at NO |
Week 6
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Russell Wilson | Joe Burrow at IND |
| Drew Brees | Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky at CAR |
| Derek Carr | Kirk Cousins vs. ATL |
| Jarrett Stidham | Drew Lock vs. MIA |
| Gardner Minshew vs. DET | |
| Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert vs. NYJ |
Week 7
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Philip Rivers | Drew Lock vs. KC |
| Ryan Tannehill | Joe Burrow vs. CLE |
| Kirk Cousins | Teddy Bridgewater at NO |
| Gardner Minshew | Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert at MIA |
| Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky at LAR | |
| Dwayne Haskins vs. DAL |
Week 8
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | Teddy Bridgewater vs. ATL |
| Deshaun Watson | Philip Rivers at DET |
| Kyler Murray | Kirk Cousins at GB |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Joe Burrow vs. TEN |
| Drew Lock | Sam Darnold at KC |
| Dwayne Haskins | Derek Carr at CLE |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick/Tua Tagovailoa vs. LAR | |
| Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky vs. NO |
Week 9
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Carson Wentz | Jimmy Garoppolo vs. GB |
| Jared Goff | Drew Lock at ATL |
| Baker Mayfield | Gardner Minshew vs. HOU |
| Joe Burrow | Teddy Bridgewater at KC |
| Kirk Cousins vs. DET | |
| Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky at TEN | |
| Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert vs. LV | |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick/Tua Tagovailoa at ARI | |
| Jarrett Stidham at NYJ |
Week 10
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Jimmy Garoppolo at NO |
| Dak Prescott | Philip Rivers at TEN |
| Matt Ryan | Teddy Bridgewater vs. TB |
| Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert | Drew Lock at LV |
| Gardner Minshew at GB | |
| Sam Darnold at MIA | |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick/Tua Tagovailoa vs. NYJ |
Week 11
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Josh Allen | Teddy Bridgewater vs. DET |
| Daniel Jones | Jarrett Stidham at HOU |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | Philip Rivers vs. GB |
| Sam Darnold | Joe Burrow at WAS |
| Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky | Kirk Cousins vs. DAL |
| Tua Tagovailoa/Ryan Fitzpatrick | Derek Carr vs. KC |
| Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert at DEN | |
| Drew Lock vs. LAC |
Week 12
None
Week 13
| Bye | Top Replacements |
|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky vs. DET |
| Teddy Bridgewater | Philip Rivers at HOU |
| Sam Darnold vs. LV | |
| Joe Burrow at MIA | |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick/Tua Tagovailoa vs. CIN | |
| Drew Lock at KC | |
| Derek Carr at NYJ |
HEADLINES
- Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears after blowing late lead
- Tagovailoa carves up Pats with 4 TDs, Dolphins win 3rd straight
- Lions rush for 3 scores and use stingy defense to beat Colts for 9th straight win
- Cowboys win thriller after Commanders miss late PAT
- Mayfield, Bucs embarrass Giants in 1st game without Jones
Advertisement