How do NFL bye weeks impact fantasy football? Everything you need to know

NFL bye weeks are an important part of the National Football League season. This is an off-weak during the regular season given to teams around the midway point.

While bye weeks do not exist in the fantasy football world, the timing in which a franchise goes on its allocated NFL bye week can impact how successful your fantasy team ends up being.

In this article, we will explore the concept of bye weeks in fantasy football, as well as their impact on your final fantasy ranking. So, without further ado, let's get to it.

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What does an NFL Bye Week mean in Fantasy Football?

According to "Sporting News," a bye week for fantasy managers means there are players on their roster who are on an NFL franchise that's off for the coming week.

Furthermore, bye weeks can be instrumental in your fantasy league as you attempt to figure out what players to fill in for a starter who's not playing in the given week.

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How can you use a bye week to your advantage in fantasy leagues?

Stellar fantasy football managers plan around NFL bye weeks when drafting their lineup. Not doing so could be the difference between a top-five fantasy finish or missing the postseason entirely.

To avoid getting outdone by bye weeks, you can decide to "ignore the byes," "stack your picks," or you could "spread them." Each of these choices comes with its perks, so they need to be used strategically.

Furthermore, it's important to factor in injuries, the rise of must-have waiver wire gems and in-season trades. When it's all said and done, your fantasy team might look super different at the end of the year compared to Week 1.

The important thing is that your roster is in a decent spot to endure inevitable in-season bye weeks. Once that's done, you're good to go.

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The 2023 NFL Bye Week Schedule

Here's the NFL 2023 bye-week schedule for your urgent perusal.

• Week 5: Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 6: Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers
• Week 7: Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys
• Week 8: Nil
• Week 9: Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers
• Week 10: Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 11: Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts
• Week 12: Nil
• Week 13:Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants
• Week 14: Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals