By Marc Hardin
NKyTribune contributor
Nearly 60 percent of the NFL’s 32 teams are scheduled for a bye week over the next month. A total of 12 teams, nearly 40 percent of the league, are off during Weeks 9 and 11, when six teams each week will take a bye. Other than making for a skimpy league schedule, those two weeks of talent drain have the potential of leaving many injury-ravaged fantasy teams even more depleted in the heat of battles for playoff spots.
Out of action this week will be the Bengals, Cardinals, Colts, Eagles, Giants and Jaguars. Several recently productive running backs including Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon, Arizona’s David Johnson, and New York’s Saquon Barkley will be among the missing.
The Broncos, Ravens, Texans and Vikings are off next week, sidelining a passel of top-flight receivers. The Bills, Browns, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets and Patriots have a bye during Week 11. Backs and receivers galore including several Patriots stalwarts will provide nothing for fantasy teams that week. The Chiefs and Rams are the only teams off during the final round of byes in Week 12, but there’s so much talent on both sides that a dozen reliable fantasy entities can’t be counted on that week.
WE’RE NO. 2, WE’RE NO. 2…
In the brutal world of the NFL, many backup players are now starters. In turn, some fantasy team strategies have been wrecked to the point that backup plans have been shredded. Plan C has been put in place for those who may have been unprepared for this season’s onslaught of injuries. In times like these, choices are limited. Alternatives would seem to be in short supply. Few sleepers have been slept on making for some questionable characters remaining on free-agent lists. When you look at available talent, everybody has the look of a backup. But some backups have star potential if given the chance.
It happens all the time. Lou Gehrig stepped in for Wally Pipp and played 2,130 consecutive games. Lester Holt replaced demoted news anchor Brian Williams for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News and became the first African-American to solo anchor a weekday network nightly newscast.
Lou Gehrig (PBS photo)
Before making a name for himself as the namesake for his own band, Steve Miller was in Chicago working with blues greats Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy. He was nothing but a bit player. But he had so much potential, they all encouraged him to step out on his own. Miller wound up forming a band in San Francisco called Steve Miller Blues Band. The name was eventually shortened to Steve Miller Band. A friend named Boz Scaggs played guitar in the band before deciding to step out on his own and embark on what turned out to be a wildly successful solo career nearly on a par with Miller’s.
Using session musicians who would later form the band Toto, Scaggs recorded the album Silk Degrees which spawned four hit singles including million-sellers “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” plus the time-honored ballad “We’re All Alone”, which was later recorded by Rita Coolidge. When Scaggs won a Grammy award for Best R&B Song with “Lowdown,” he shared it with one of the session players, co-writer David Paich.
Paich later became the keyboardist and a songwriter for Toto, which sold as many records as Miller, Scaggs and Coolridge, who was a backup singer for the likes of Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Coolidge then stepped out on her own and became a singles-making machine along with Miller and Scaggs.
Back to football, 10 teams have won the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback including Philadelphia just last season with Nick Foles. All-timers who would not settle for being second best on the depth chart include Franco Harris who was famously second-string behind Lydell Mitchell at Penn State before gaining greater NFL fame with the Steelers. There was second-string receiver-turned-returner extraordinaire Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, and Dolphins backup tailback from back in the day, Mercury Morris.
Some of the best in the game right now were longtime backups to start including Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins the first three years of their careers and Vikings receiver Adam Thielen his first two years in the league. Look at journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Now, he’s FitzMagic and starting again. This year’s backups turned stars include second-year Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and second-year Steelers back James Conner. Diamonds in the rough are out there and available in your league. Some could be put in position to help your team this year. It’s up to you to find them while playing bye-week musical chairs over the next month.
BACKUPS TO WATCH
From Week 1 on, this space has extolled the virtues of No. 2 running backs such as Tevin Coleman, T.J. Yeldon, James White, Austin Ekeler, Latavius Murray, Aaron Jones and Frank Gore, just to name a few. By referencing them as must-have handcuffs, solid stand-alone pickups and free agents to keep an eye on, the intent has been to spotlight not-so-obvious talent, poor-mouthed players and unsexy waiver targets. They harvested potential to help your team while other less discerning owners showed them practically no attention. That’s how Boz Scaggs felt before hitting it big.
In the aftermath of attrition through injuries, ineffectiveness and trades, unpopular first-half backs who’ve become starters, like the Raiders’ Doug Martin, are now largely 60 percent owned nationally. The word is out. They, like most current starters, are gone. So let’s give it up for the backups. If a handful of second options step out from the shadows of starters and become second-half beasts, they just might be on this week’s lists.
RUNNING BACKS
Since they are such a precious commodity, we’ll go into some detail with the backup backs who could break through in time to help your squad. This is not made with the suggestion that you pick up any of these guys right away, although I’ve already taken my own advice in some leagues I play in. Rather, keep a week-to-week eye on these below-the-radar fantasy players in the event talent intersects with opportunity, and be ready to pounce.
C.J. Anderson (Panthers): McCaffrey’s backup is capable.
Javorius Allen (Ravens): Owned in just 45% of leagues.
Kenjon Barner (Patriots): Window to get him is closing.
LeGarrette Blount (Lions): Johnson’s the man, Riddick’s hurt.
Alfred Blue (Texans): Both Houston backs getting touches.
Devontae Booker (Broncos): 9 carries, 78 yards Week 8.
Mike Boone (Vikings): One injury away from being lead back.
Malcolm Brown (Rams): Gurley insurance in big offense.
Trenton Cannon (Jets): Crowell’s backup with Powell out.
Mike Davis (Seahawks): Already shown he can step in.
Wayne Gallman (Giants): Could surprise if called upon.
Frank Gore (Dolphins): Unowned in 75% of leagues.
Nyheim Hines (Colts): Nice change of pace behind Mack.
Chris Ivory (Bills): As many fantasy points as LeSean McCoy.
Ty Montgomery (Packers): Jones is the man but Ty can fly.
Raheem Mostert (49ers): A not-so-bad third back.
Samaje Perine (Redskins): Top backup; Thompson, Bibbs hurt.
Jacquizz Rodgers (Bucs): Touches on the rise with Jones out.
Wendell Smallwood (Eagles): Window has probably closed.
Ito Smith (Falcons): Owned in just 32% of leagues.
Rod Smith (Cowboys): Has a history of filling in well.
Spencer Ware (Chiefs): Hunt insurance in big offense.
Jamaal Williams (Packers): Given up on but still in the mix.
WIDE RECEIVERS
By the way, Luther Vandross started as a backup vocalist working with David Bowie, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand. Before she met Sonny, Cher sang backup on the Righteous Brothers’ iconic hit “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” and the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” Several members of the Eagles were previously backup singers for Linda Ronstadt. Gwen Stefani was in her brother’s band No Doubt as a backup singer but lead singer John Spence committed suicide and Stefani stepped up. Sheryl Crow toured with Michael Jackson on the Bad Tour as a backing vocalist before going solo. Whitney Houston was a backup singer for Low Rawls and Chaka Khan before becoming a star. Just sayin’.
Likewise, the following were all backups at the beginning of the season. Many still are while being owned in less than 50 percent of leagues. which means there’s a 50-50 chance they’re available in your league.
Geronimo Allison (Packers)
Josh Doctson (Redskins)
Michael Gallup (Cowboys)
Jakeem Grant (Dolphins)
Jermaine Kearse (Jets)
Christian Kirk (Cardinals)
Anthony Miller (Bears)
DJ Moore (Panthers)
Chester Rogers (Colts)
Tre’Quan Smith (Saints)
Willie Snead (Ravens)
Courtland Sutton (Broncos)
Dede Westbrook (Jaguars)
Mike Williams (Chargers)
TIGHT ENDS
Antonio Gates originally enrolled at Michigan State with the desire to play football and basketball but then-coach Nick Saban wanted him to play only football. Gates transferred to Eastern Michigan where he played as a backup for part of a basketball season before transferring to College of the Sequoias and then eventually Kent State. A one-time basketball backup is going to be a hall of fame football tight end with the Chargers because nobody could hold him back.
Gotta watch the No. 2 guys. They dot the list of potentially helpful players at tight end who are unheralded and unowned in 50 percent of leagues. Some are possibly available in your league. Right now, they may seem nondescript behind a bigger personality, kind of like Dave Grohl in Nirvana. Given different circumstances, they could be big, like Dave Grohl in Foo Fighters.
Mark Andrews (Ravens)
Cameron Brate (Bucs)
Vernon Davis (Redskins)
Ed Dickson (Seahawks)
Virgil Green (Chargers)
Dallas Goedert (Eagles)
Chris Herndon (Jets)
Jesse James (Steelers)
Michael Roberts (Lions)
