The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 9: Big bye week will have many scrambling

When it comes to fantasy football, some bye weeks are just a little more painful than others.

After three weeks with only minor disruptions, the NFL has given six teams the weekend off for Week 9. The Browns, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants, 49ers and Steelers will mostly be at home, watching NFL Red Zone like the rest of us.

You could make quite an all-star team of the missing in action: Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb and CeeDee Lamb, to name just a few. This same problem will strike again in Week 14. That’s fantasy playoff time for some, and they will have to contend with six more bye teams that week.

The pickings are slim on the fantasy waiver wires, but here are some guys who you might still be able to grab to plug the holes in your lineup:

Nyheim Hines (Bills RB) — The Colts traded their third-down back to Buffalo on deadline day, and he could have a nice role with the AFC East leaders. A top pass catcher out of the backfield, he has 25 catches this season and will at least double that figure the rest of the way.

Latavius Murray (Broncos RB) — The former Viking scored a touchdown for the second straight week for the Broncos in London. And he has averaged just under 50 yards a game since being picked up off the scrap heap by Denver.

Isaiah McKenzie (Bills WR) — He has been mostly quiet after scoring three touchdowns in the first four games, but he ran for a TD against Green Bay and has a nice matchup this week against the Jets.

Damiere Byrd (Falcons WR) — He caught a touchdown pass for the second straight week against Carolina and has 142 receiving yards over the past two weeks. His role could grow as Atlanta has started to throw more.

Tyler Conklin (Jets TE) — The former Vikings backup caught six passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Patriots. He’s becoming a favorite of QB Zach Wilson.

Justin Fields (Bears QB) — He has three TD passes and two TD runs in the past two weeks against strong defenses (Patriots, Cowboys). He’ll have more room to run this week against Miami.

Marcus Mariota (Falcons QB) — The former Oregon star has thrown for six TDs in the past three weeks. He had a season-best 253 yards against Carolina, and he has three TD runs in the first eight weeks.

SITTING STARS

You won’t be benching Colts RB Jonathan Taylor against the Patriots, but he’s not looking 100 percent lately. … The same goes for Houston RB Dameon Pierce, who will have a long night Thursday against unbeaten Philadelphia. … Neither Raiders WR Davante Adams (vs. Jaguars) nor Detroit WR Amon-Ra St Brown (vs. Packers) will come anywhere near their early-season numbers this week. … WR Garrett Wilson might be the only New York Jet you can consider playing against Buffalo. … And two veteran quarterbacks will underwhelm this week: the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins vs. Washington and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford vs. the Buccaneers.

MATCHUP GAME

If you saw what Tennessee’s Derrick Henry did to the Houston defense last week, you know Thursday night could be fun for Eagles RB Miles Sanders. … The Chicago running back you want to start against the Dolphins is Khalil Herbert. … Of the two high-profile pass catchers traded this week, we like Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson to outshine Bears’ Chase Claypool. … Carolina WR D.J. Moore, whose celebration proved so costly last Sunday, will atone for his helmet-removal penalty with a big game against Cincinnati. … Two receivers we like this week are Washington’s Terry McLaurin (vs. Vikings) and Saints’ Chris Olave (vs. Ravens). … Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers will look like his old self against Detroit, with some help from WR Romeo Doubs. … And Chargers QB Justin Herbert could have a season-best effort coming out of the bye week against Atlanta.

INJURY WATCH

The Rams are hoping all-world receiver Cooper Kupp can play despite injuring his ankle during garbage time in Week 8. … The other significant injury last weekend was the concussion suffered by Green Bay rookie receiver Christian Watson. … The list of questionables sidelined last week includes Arizona RB James Conner, Carolina RB Chuba Hubbard, San Francisco WR Deebo Samuel, Green Bay wideout Allen Lazard, Chargers WR Keenan Allen and Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller.

THE DEEPEST SLEEPER

People are starting to notice Denver rookie tight end Greg Dulcich, a third-rounder from UCLA who had a huge game in the Broncos’ victory over the Jaguars in London. While Dulcich missed the first five games because of a hamstring injury, quarterback Russell Wilson has touted his “freakish ability.” Over the past three games, Dulcich has 12 receptions for 182 yards and one TD. That’s not that impressive until you remember how barren the tight end ranks are this season. While Dulcich is on bye this week, he’s worth picking up now for the second half of the season.

THE THURSDAY PICK

Eagles at Texans (+12½):
Pick: Eagles by 20

BREAKING NEWS

We’ll be updating our column, based on the latest injuries and innuendo, right up until Sunday’s kickoff. Go to TwinCities.com/theloop.

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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