While bye weeks are an NFL team’s best friend, they are a pain in the neck for fantasy football players. The 2024 NFL season is several weeks away. Yet, now is the time to plan for bye weeks, especially at the quarterback position.

Bye weeks begin in Week 5 and run through Week 14. However, there are no teams on a bye in Week 12 because of the Thanksgiving triple header and in Week 8 because the NFL schedule makers rarely make sense. With eight bye weeks to account for, fantasy players must do their homework and plan for bye week replacements.

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Quarterback Bye Week Analysis: Draft Strategy & Streaming Targets

In this article, the top-12 quarterbacks, according to FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR), will be labeled as starting quarterbacks to cover the typical 12-team fantasy league. I have provided two target streamers for every bye week to help you find the best matchup for your starting quarterback’s bye. Pay attention to the repeat names in this article and the defenses you want to pick on this season.

Also, take advantage of FantasyPros’ Bye Week Cheat Sheet and Quarterback by Committee Finder before your draft. These are excellent tools to help you win your draft and league.

Week 5

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Jalen Hurts (PHI)
• Target Streamers: Deshaun Watson (CLE) at WAS, Kirk Cousins (ATL) vs. TB

Watson was once a fantasy superstar, posting multiple top-five finishes during his time with the Houston Texans. However, the veteran averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game in the five contests he played more than 20% of the snaps last season, scoring 19 or more in 60% of those matchups despite playing through multiple injuries. More importantly, Watson faces a Washington defense that was one of the most fantasy-friendly units in 2023. The Commanders gave up two of the top-10 quarterback fantasy performances last year.

While Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles, the veteran quarterback should be 100% for Week 1. He has been one more underrated fantasy quarterbacks in his career, averaging 18.7 or more fantasy points per game in three of the past four seasons. Cousins had 344 passing yards and two touchdowns in his 2023 matchup against the Buccaneers. More importantly, Drake London has averaged 19.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game in two career matchups at home against Tampa Bay. Expect Cousins and London to have massive performances.

Week 6

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Patrick Mahomes (KC), Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
• Target Streamers: Deshaun Watson (CLE) at PHI, Caleb Williams (CHI) vs. JAC

The veteran quarterback makes the target streamers list for the second consecutive week. While Watson has been a massive bust since joining the Browns, he has missed 64.7% of the games because of injuries and suspension. However, fantasy players shouldn’t be shocked if Watson becomes a weekly starter after Cleveland added Jerry Jeudy this offseason. More importantly, the veteran has an appealing matchup against the Eagles. While Philadelphia made significant additions to their secondary this offseason, they were one of the worst passing defenses in 2023.

Rookie quarterbacks typically don’t have much fantasy appeal unless they are elite runners. However, Williams will be a popular streaming option in 1QB leagues this year. The Bears gave him an elite receiving core led by DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Furthermore, they upgraded their offensive line. Williams will be at the top of most streaming articles in Week 6 because of the matchup against the Jaguars. They gave up the fifth-most passing yards last season. Expect this game to be a high-scoring contest.

Week 7

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Dak Prescott (DAL)
• Target Streamers: Justin Herbert (LAC) at ARI, Jared Goff (DET) at MIN

Seeing Herbert outside the top-12 ECR is shocking. The superstar belongs outside the QB1 range because of the new offense. Yet, he will still have massive fantasy performances in 2024. The Chargers have some weapons with upside, including Ladd McConkey. More importantly, the Cardinals will be a team to target when streaming quarterbacks. They have an explosive young offense but one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Herbert will have one of his best performances of the year in Week 7 against Arizona.

Goff will appear in this article two more times, as the veteran is one of my favorite quarterbacks this year. He has averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game over his past four matchups against Minnesota, scoring 20.8 or more twice. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ defense played better in the second half of the 2023 season. Unfortunately, they lost elite edge rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency, which will hurt them this year. Goff had 277 or more passing yards in three of his past four matchups against the Vikings.

Week 9

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Brock Purdy (SF)
• Target Streamers: Caleb Williams (CHI) vs. ARI, Geno Smith (SEA) vs. LAR

The No. 1 overall pick makes his second appearance in the article. Williams might disappoint fantasy players early in the year as he adjusts to the NFL game. However, expect him to be playing well come the midway point of the season. The Bears have depth at every position. If Keenan Allen is hurt at this point in the year, Rome Odunze can step in for the veteran. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will be one of the teams fantasy players want to target when streaming quarterbacks.

While Smith had a disappointing 2023 season, the veteran was the QB5 in 2022, averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he had the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the league that year (30), totaling more than Justin Herbert and Tom Brady. Unfortunately, Smith dealt with injuries last season and had a banged-up offensive line. While the veteran struggled in the two matchups against the Rams last year, Aaron Donald won’t be chasing after him this season. Fantasy players should expect a bounce-back year from Smith in 2024.

Week 10

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Jordan Love (GB)
• Target Streamers: Jared Goff (DET) at HOU, Aaron Rodgers (NYJ) at ARI

Fantasy players who draft Love should turn to another NFC North quarterback during the former Utah State star’s bye week. Goff was outstanding in a dome last season, averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game. While this game is in Houston, they will play indoors. More importantly, the matchup should be a high-scoring contest between two elite young offenses. While C.J. Stroud will have more fantasy points than Goff in this game, don’t be surprised if the veteran has a top-five finish against the Texans.

Rodgers makes his only appearance in the article. The future Hall of Famer has been an elite fantasy quarterback in the past but is coming off a torn Achilles at 40 years old and hasn’t had a regular season completion since January 2023. While his days as a QB1 are over, Rodgers can still be an appealing streaming option, especially in Week 10. The Cardinals had one of the worst pass defenses, giving up the third-most passing touchdowns and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last season.

Week 11

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Kyler Murray (ARI)
• Target Streamers: Jared Goff (DET) vs. JAC, Trevor Lawrence (JAC) at DET

Hopefully, fantasy players can snag Goff off the waiver wire from the league mate who started him in Week 10. The veteran quarterback makes his third and final appearance in the article. He has one of the top receiving cores in the NFL, led by Amon-Ra St. Brown. While Goff will have to play this November matchup outdoors, it is in Jacksonville. Therefore, the weather shouldn’t be a problem for the veteran. Furthermore, the Jaguars had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL last year.

Anyone who misses out on Goff should target Lawrence off the waiver wire. While the former Clemson star regressed last season, the Jaguars improved his offensive line and receiving core in the offseason. Hopefully, Christian Kirk will be healthy all year, as the veteran is Lawrence’s go-to weapon. Meanwhile, the Lions improved their secondary in the offseason but should have a bottom-10 unit again in 2024. More importantly, this matchup should have one of the highest over/under totals in Week 11, making it appealing for fantasy players.

Week 12

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Josh Allen (BUF), Joe Burrow (CIN)
• Target Streamers: Matthew Stafford (LAR) vs. PHI, Geno Smith (SEA) vs. ARI

Stafford was the QB15 last season, averaging 16.2 fantasy points per game. However, the veteran was an elite fantasy quarterback to end the year. He was the QB2 from Week 12 through Week 16, averaging 21.8 fantasy points per game. The Rams don’t have the most impressive offense, but they can put up points with the best units in the NFL. Meanwhile, Stafford had 222 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 16.9 fantasy points in the Week 5 matchup against the Eagles in Cooper Kupp’s first game of the season.

Fantasy players streaming the quarterback position will want Smith at the top of their list come November. The veteran has two appealing matchups in a three-week window against the Cardinals. Smith averaged 17.1 fantasy points per game in the two contests against Arizona last season, totaling two passing touchdowns in both matchups. However, fantasy players should have higher expectations for the veteran in 2024 with a healthy offensive line and Jaxon Smith-Njigba heading into his second year in the NFL.

Week 14

• Starting Quarterbacks on a Bye: Lamar Jackson (BAL), C.J. Stroud (HOU), Anthony Richardson (IND)
• Target Streamers: Kirk Cousins (ATL) at MIN, Geno Smith (SEA) at ARI

Unfortunately, the NFL scheduling team gave the fantasy football community the middle finger by having three of the top fantasy quarterbacks with the same bye week. Furthermore, the bye week couldn’t come at a worse time, with Week 14 being the final week of the fantasy football regular season. Thankfully, fantasy players have two appealing streaming options in Cousins and Smith. Seattle will face Arizona for the second time in the final three weeks heading into the fantasy playoffs.

However, Cousins is the best streaming option in Week 14. The veteran will have built chemistry with Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. More importantly, he is facing his former team. While the veteran quarterback and the Vikings split on good terms, Cousins will have this game circled on his calendar. Minnesota surrendered 16.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks in 2023, around the league average. Yet, expect Cousins and the Falcons to have one of their top offensive performances of the year.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.