The most bye weeks of the season plus a flurry of injuries make this Sunday’s start/sit decisions among the trickiest we’ll make in 2021.
To help, I’ve outlined my final tiers for each position based on the robust round of updates I made to my projections on Saturday afternoon. As always, these won’t reflect final actives/inactives, so make sure you consult my real-time rankings before locking in your lineups here. San Francisco will feature heavy rain for the 49ers’ showdown against the Colts — before you flood me with questions, I’m factoring the forecast into my projections and will continue to update as the situation is … fluid.
Now let’s dive in so you can start setting your lineups without players on the following bye-week teams: Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings and Steelers.
Fantasy Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy QB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Patrick Mahomes (@ TEN)
Tier 2
Kyler Murray (vs. HOU)
Lamar Jackson (vs. CIN)
Tier 3
Jalen Hurts (@ LV)
Tier 4
Tom Brady (vs. CHI)
Matthew Stafford (vs. DET)
Tier 5
Derek Carr (vs. PHI)
Aaron Rodgers (vs. WAS)
Tier 6
Ryan Tannehill (vs. KC)
Matt Ryan (@ MIA)
Tier 7
Tua Tagovailoa (vs. ATL)
Tier 8
Sam Darnold (@ NYG)
Mac Jones (vs. NYJ)
Taylor Heinicke (@ GB)
Joe Burrow (@ BAL)
Daniel Jones (vs. CAR)
Jameis Winston (@ SEA)
Tier 9
Jared Goff (@ LAR)
Justin Fields (@ TB)
Tier 10
Geno Smith (vs. NO)
Teddy Bridgewater (@ CLE)
Case Keenum (vs. DEN)
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. IND)
Carson Wentz (@ SF)
Tier 11
Zach Wilson (@ NE)
Tier 12
Davis Mills (@ ARI)
Fantasy RB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Derrick Henry (vs. KC)
Tier 2
Alvin Kamara (@ SEA)
Tier 3
Aaron Jones (vs. WAS)
Darrell Henderson (vs. DET)
Tier 4
Jonathan Taylor (@ SF)
Chuba Hubbard (@ NYG)
Leonard Fournette (vs. CHI)
Tier 5
Cordarrelle Patterson (@ MIA)
D’Andre Swift (@ LAR)
Tier 6
Darrel Williams (@ TEN)
Josh Jacobs (vs. PHI)
Tier 7
Miles Sanders (@ LV)
Joe Mixon (@ BAL)
Elijah Mitchell (vs. IND)
Damien Harris (vs. NYJ)
Devontae Booker (vs. CAR)
Tier 8
Mike Davis (@ MIA)
Antonio Gibson (@ GB)
James Conner (vs. HOU)
D’Ernest Johnson (vs. DEN)
Javonte Williams (@ CLE)
Tier 9
Michael Carter (@ NE)
Alex Collins (vs. NO)
Melvin Gordon (@ CLE)
J.D. McKissic (@ GB)
Chase Edmonds (vs. HOU)
Tier 10
A.J. Dillon (vs. WAS)
Myles Gaskin (vs. ATL)
Tier 11
Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. NYJ)
Devonta Freeman (vs. CIN)
Jamaal Williams (@ LAR)
Demetric Felton (vs. DEN)
Khalil Herbert (@ TB)
Mark Ingram (@ ARI)
Le’Veon Bell (vs. CIN)
Damien Williams (@ TB)
Sony Michel (vs. DET)
Tier 12
Trey Sermon (vs. IND)
Nyheim Hines (@ SF)
DeeJay Dallas (vs. NO)
Kenneth Gainwell (@ LV)
Salvon Ahmed (vs. ATL)
David Johnson (@ ARI)
Tier 13
Kenyan Drake (vs. PHI)
Jerick McKinnon (@ TEN)
Malcolm Brown (vs. ATL)
Ty Johnson (@ NE)
John Kelly (vs. DEN)
Royce Freeman (@ NYG)
Ty’Son Williams (vs. CIN)
Ronald Jones II (vs. CHI)
Brandon Bolden (vs. NYJ)
Kyle Juszczyk (vs. IND)
Ty Montgomery (@ SEA)
Giovani Bernard (vs. CHI)
Fantasy WR Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Davante Adams (vs. WAS)
Tier 2
Cooper Kupp (vs. DET)
Tyreek Hill (@ TEN)
Tier 3
D.J. Moore (@ NYG)
Tier 4
Calvin Ridley (@ MIA)
DeAndre Hopkins (vs. HOU)
Chris Godwin (vs. CHI)
Mike Evans (vs. CHI)
Deebo Samuel (vs. IND)
Terry McLaurin (@ GB)
Robert Woods (vs. DET)
Tier 5
Brandin Cooks (@ ARI)
A.J. Brown (vs. KC)
Ja’Marr Chase (@ BAL)
Marquise Brown (vs. CIN)
Tier 6
Jaylen Waddle (vs. ATL)
Courtland Sutton (@ CLE)
D.K. Metcalf (vs. NO)
Devonta Smith (@ LV)
Sterling Shepard (vs. CAR)
Jakobi Meyers (vs. NYJ)
Tee Higgins (@ BAL)
Hunter Renfrow (vs. PHI)
Tier 7
Darnell Mooney (@ TB)
Corey Davis (@ NE)
Allen Robinson (@ TB)
Michael Pittman Jr. (@ SF)
Julio Jones (vs. KC)
Mecole Hardman (@ TEN)
Christian Kirk (vs. HOU)
Rondale Moore (vs. HOU)
Tyler Lockett (vs. NO)
Henry Ruggs (vs. PHI)
Tier 8
Jamison Crowder (@ NE)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (@ LAR)
Marquez Callaway (@ SEA)
Tim Patrick (@ CLE)
Tyler Boyd (@ BAL)
Robby Anderson (@ NYG)
A.J. Green (vs. HOU)
DeVante Parker (vs. ATL)
Rashod Bateman (vs. CIN)
Tier 9
Jarvis Landry (vs. DEN)
Kalif Raymond (@ LAR)
Van Jefferson (vs. DET)
Bryan Edwards (vs. PHI)
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. DEN)
Quez Watkins (@ LV)
Darius Slayton (vs. CAR)
Nelson Agholor (vs. NYJ)
Tyler Johnson (vs. CHI)
Jalen Reagor (@ LV)
Tier 10
Allen Lazard (vs. WAS)
Zach Pascal (@ SF)
Kenny Stills (@ SEA)
Brandon Aiyuk (vs. IND)
Kendrick Bourne (vs. NYJ)
Randall Cobb (vs. WAS)
Tier 11
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (vs. KC)
Donovan Peoples-Jones (vs. DEN)
KhaDarel Hodge (@ LAR)
Russell Gage (@ MIA)
Tre’Quan Smith (@ SEA)
Desean Jackson (vs. DET)
Freddie Swain (vs. NO)
Demarcus Robinson (@ TEN)
Nico Collins (@ ARI)
Shi Smith (@ NYG)
Adam Humphries (@ GB)
Dyami Brown (@ GB)
Dante Pettis (vs. CAR)
Elijah Moore (@ NE)
Kendall Hinton (@ CLE)
Mohamed Sanu (vs. IND)
Marquise Goodwin (@ TB)
Fantasy TE Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Travis Kelce (@ TEN)
Tier 2
Darren Waller (vs. PHI)
Tier 3
Mark Andrews (vs. CIN)
Tier 4
T.J. Hockenson (@ LAR)
Kyle Pitts (@ MIA)
Dallas Goedert (@ LV)
Mike Gesicki (vs. ATL)
Tier 5
Tyler Higbee (vs. DET)
Noah Fant (@ CLE)
Hunter Henry (vs. NYJ)
Tier 6
Ricky Seals-Jones (@ GB)
Tier 7
Zach Ertz (vs. HOU)
Cole Kmet (@ TB)
Robert Tonyan Jr. (vs. WAS)
O.J. Howard (vs. CHI)
Evan Engram (vs. CAR)
Tier 8
C.J. Uzomah (@ BAL)
Cameron Brate (vs. CHI)
Tier 9
Ian Thomas (@ NYG)
Jonnu Smith (vs. NYJ)
Hayden Hurst (@ MIA)
Ross Dwelley (vs. IND)
Adam Trautman (@ SEA)
Anthony Firkser (vs. KC)
David Njoku (vs. DEN)
Mo Alie-Cox (@ SF)
Ryan Griffin (@ NE)
Jordan Akins (@ ARI)
Gerald Everett (vs. NO)
Austin Hooper (vs. DEN)
Fantasy Kicker Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Matt Gay (vs. DET)
Matt Prater (vs. HOU)
Harrison Butker (@ TEN)
Tier 2
Ryan Succop (vs. CHI)
Younghoe Koo (@ MIA)
Justin Tucker (vs. CIN)
Daniel Carlson (vs. PHI)
Jason Sanders (vs. ATL)
Mason Crosby (vs. WAS)
Randy Bullock (vs. KC)
Nick Folk (vs. NYJ)
Tier 3
Wil Lutz (@ SEA)*
Zane Gonzalez (@ NYG)
Graham Gano (vs. CAR)
He is a game-time decision who plays Monday night. There is no reason to ever take a chance on a kicker like that. Look elsewhere
Tier 4
Jake Elliott (@ LV)
Evan McPherson (@ BAL)
Joey Slye (vs. IND)
Brandon McManus (@ CLE)
Chris Blewitt (@ GB)
Matt Ammendola (@ NE)
Cairo Santos (@ TB)
Chase McLaughlin (vs. DEN)
Austin Seibert (@ LAR)
Jason Myers (vs. NO)
Michael Badgley (@ SF)
Ka’imi Fairbairn (@ ARI)
Fantasy Defense Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Arizona Cardinals (vs. HOU)
New England Patriots (vs. NYJ)
Tier 2
Los Angeles Rams (vs. DET)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. CHI)
New Orleans Saints (@ SEA)
Tier 3
Carolina Panthers (@ NYG)
Cleveland Browns (vs. DEN)
Green Bay Packers (vs. WAS)
Denver Broncos (@ CLE)
Baltimore Ravens (vs. CIN)
San Francisco 49ers (vs. IND)
Tier 4
New York Giants (vs. CAR)
Las Vegas Raiders (vs. PHI)
Tier 5
Atlanta Falcons (@ MIA)
Indianapolis Colts (@ SF)
Seattle Seahawks (vs. NO)
New York Jets (@ NE)
Philadelphia Eagles (@ LV)
Kansas City Chiefs (@ TEN)
Miami Dolphins (vs. ATL)
Cincinnati Bengals (@ BAL)
Tier 6
Washington Football Team (@ GB)
Chicago Bears (@ TB)
Tennessee Titans (vs. KC)
Tier 7
Houston Texans (@ ARI)
Detroit Lions (@ LAR)