NFL Week 9 Bye: 5 Situations To Watch

It’s that time of year. Fantasy football owners are scrambling to fill holes in their lineup as Detroit, Minnesota, Carolina and Jacksonville are on bye. Here are some things to keep an eye on from the bye teams when they get back to action.

1. Can Percy Harvin be a consistent threat?

At first glance, you have to be frustrated by the 41.8 receiving yards Harvin is averaging this year. If you factor in the 22.8 he has averaged rushing, it at least salvages his value. He only has two touchdowns though, and one was on a run and the other on a return. Not exactly the production most were expecting when the Vikings said they would make Percy a bigger part of the offense.

Injuries and poor play from Donovan McNabb have played a role. Their bye week and Christian Ponder’s development should lead to a better second half for Harvin. Unfortunately, you’ll still have to deal with the injuries and the occasional rookie mistake. Harvin is a solid WR3 for the second half, but is not a must-start.

2. Cam Cam Newton continue his excellence?

Not many people are surprised that Newton has seven rushing touchdowns and 319 rushing yards (39.9 ypg) at the halfway point of the season. His athleticism was never in question. I doubt many could have predicted that he would average nearly 300 passing yards per game to go with his rushing prowess.

He has thrown for 290-plus in half of his starts. His running ability can offset any off game he has with his arm. I would be surprised if he could keep up the level of play only because he set the bar so high. He does remain a top-10 fantasy option down the stretch, though.

3. What’s up with DeAngelo Williams?

I questioned the decision to sign D-Will this offseason with J-Stew on the roster. I know you need more than one running back in the league, but why break the bank for that RB? It’s certainly not something the Patriots or Packers would do. Not that they do everything right, but they definitely have successful NFL models.

If you think Williams is suddenly going to earn that paycheck, forget about it. Not with Newton throwing the ball the way he is. Not with Newton running the ball the way he is. Not unless J-Stew gets hurt. They have three players with 300-plus rushing yards.

The Panthers give you steady fantasy play at QB and WR (Steve Smith). You’ll get some production from their two running backs (and two TEs for that matter), but there isn’t enough to satisfy fantasy owners most weeks.

4. Will Megatron break Randy Moss’ touchdown record?

Calvin Johnson has 11 touchdowns through eight games. The NFL record is 23, meaning Megatron will have to be even more productive in the second half. He “only” has three touchdowns in his past four games though, so he’s not trending in the right direction to break that record. While Megatron doesn’t have a tough second-half schedule in terms of pass defenses, I’m afraid 12 TDs in eight games is too tall an order.

5. Will Jacksonville have a threat outside of Maurice Jones-Drew?

No. Not this year. Blaine Gabbert has been better than Luke McCown, but that’s like saying a kick to the gut is better than being stabbed in the gut. It’s still painful.

Deji Karim is only averaging 2.6 yards per carry and Mike Thomas leads the way with 333 passing yards (41.6 ypg). Jason Hill has three scores but he’s hardly reliable. Marcedes Lewis is lucky he signed that big contract this summer because he’s doing nothing.

Gabbert should be better in the second half, which should improve the play of Thomas, Hill and Lewis, but don’t expect any of them to become reliable fantasy options.

Also check out: 

• Week 10 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Week 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Advice