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The best waiver options for fantasy QB bye weeks

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler warms up in the rain before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

We've spent the week looking at NFL strength of schedule as it relates to fantasy quarterbacks, finding guys who have tough or easy schedules that a good fantasy owner can exploit. But so far we haven't taken the byes into consideration.

If you are a meticulous planner who wants every quarterback base covered and have a deep bench, here is a look at the best bye week matchups for easily-acquirable passers. There is little sense in holding a backup quarterback all season if your league has short benches, and scarce roster spots are best reserved for upside shots at running back, receiver or tight end.

However, league formats and opinions vary, so here are a few options to smooth over each bye week. For the most part, we will focus on lightly owned quarterbacks who will not cost much, if anything, to roster. In some cases, it may be a savvy move to acquire them a week before they will be needed, in case they have multiple attractive matchups and their price will inflate. The SoS Grid can help with that.

Week 4 (Byes: Packers, Eagles)

  • Jay Cutler gets a home division matchup with Detroit, against whom he averaged 299 passing yards and threw three touchdowns last year.
  • Brock Osweiler takes on the Titans’ soft secondary in Houston and should be available on waivers after matchups with the Chiefs and Patriots.
  • Teddy Bridgewater welcomes the up-tempo Giants to his new dome, as Minnesota tries to match the 49 points they hung on New York last year in Week 16.

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