After a tough victory in Week 8, the Seahawks now have the opportunity to rest and re-focus during a bye week. The players will be able to take advantage of the chance to come back fresher physically after the break, as the entire team and staff prepare for the chance to vault over the .500 mark when play resumes.
Fantasy players will not get any break from setting their lineups while the Seahawks are off, though. The bye weeks truly test the mettle of a Fantasy owner, especially when five other teams are idle in addition to the 'Hawks. If you own Marshawn Lynch or Jimmy Graham, it's not going to be easy to fill in for them, but if you can do so and still win, then you have truly earned your Week 9 Fantasy triumph.
Lynch has scored 37.80 Fantasy points in NFL.com standard leagues in his past three games as it apparent he is back in form. Hopefully, you have good depth behind him or you may have to hit the free agent list, where the options could be more scarce. Giovani Bernard is certainly one fine replacement, as the Browns are allowing 24.24 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com, second most overall. Bernard will be even more useful in PPR formats. He has the ability to make a significant play any time he touches the ball, and can sparkle in this matchup even with some limited touches.
If you landed Bears RB Jeremy Langford off waivers, the Chargers are allowing the most FFPG to opposing RBs, at a 24.25 clip. The Colts allow 22.08 FFPG to the RBs, and both Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson, who had his best game of the season in Week 8, are strong choices. The Redskins are 30th in rushing yards per game allowed. So consider LeGarrette Blount also. New Orleans surrenders 123.9 rushing yards per game, and Antonio Andrews should post at least an adequate Fantasy stat line against them.
Graham registered 7.50 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com last week, and while he is out, you should strongly consider Heath Miller, as the Raiders allow the most Fantasy points to tight ends, at 13.80 per game. Miller now becomes more relevant again with Ben Roethlisberger back for Pittsburgh. Austin Seferian Jenkins may return against the Giants, who allow 12.30 FPG to the position. Vernon Davis will make his debut as a Bronco, and could be good for a TD even if he still easing into an offense with a new team. Jacob Tamme has become a top option outside of Julio Jones in the Atlanta passing game and should be busy against Tampa Bay.
If you have to replace Russell Wilson as a streamer this week or need to substitute for Carson Palmer, who is also on a bye, then Jay Cutler should be one of your top choices. He has scored over 19 NFL.com points in his past two games and the Chargers have allowed 14 TD passes, tied for 20th in the NFL. Marcus Mariota is expected to return this week and the Saints allow the most Fantasy points to opposing QBs on NFL.com, at 23.37. The Giants are last in the NFL in passing defense, and confident rookie Jamies Winston will be willing to sling the ball against them. The Steelers are 26th in pass defense, and Derek Carr is looking more like a quality option this year.
Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse have the week off, and so do Fantasy standout WRs such as DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Dontrelle Inman will step into a larger role for the Chargers and is worth a waiver add and bye week usage against Chicago. Tampa Bay allows 27.31 standard Fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, fourth-highest, so Dwayne Harris of the Giants can be a nifty play. Rishard Matthews is a fine play against the Buffalo secondary. Brandon LaFell is a terrific option against Washington. Marvin Jones provides TD potential against Clevaland.
The Seahawks defense will obviously be a challenge to replace, as the unit is pretty much a must-start option in most weeks. Atlanta is a strong replacement candidate as the Falcons face the reshuffling 49ers. The Patriots are master schemers and could present a really tough matchup for the Redskins. The Jaguars defense could be a sneaky play against the Jets, who are dealing with some notable injury issues. Philadelphia should be able to keep the score down against Dallas. The Vikings are an underrated unit that will provide a stiff test for St. Louis.
The ultra-dependable Steven Hauschka has totaled 28 points in his last three games, so he will also be missed by his owners. Chris Boswell of the Steelers becomes even more viable with Roethlisberger back, and Pittsburgh should be able to move the ball very well against Oakland. Robbie Gould may still be a free agent in your league and will certainly get a healthy amount of scoring chances against the Chargers. Mike Nugent is also a quality choice as the Bengals offense should work well in terms of getting opportunities for him.
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