Buffalo, Jacksonville, the Chargers and Washington are off this week. At press time seven of their players are still in starting lineups, across five teams. Two are the league leader's quarterback and running back. There were eight until Wednesday evening, when the desk noticed its own quarterback and fixed it. Also: Dawnieo's quarterback decision has been made for her, and with every lineup fixed, the desk's game is a 0.6-point coin flip.
Filed Wednesday night, a few hours after a recap filed Wednesday afternoon. The desk is calling that a recovery. Others may call it overcorrection, and the desk will not be taking that question either.
The theme is the bye, again. Two weeks ago the preview counted five starters on bye teams, and every one was fixed by kickoff. This week there were eight. The desk's own franchise had one of them and fixed it before filing, which it mentions only because nobody else will. Every projection below is given two ways: the lineup as set, with bye players at zero, and the lineup as it ought to be. Thursday's Chicago–New England game locks a few slots early.
Justin Jefferson is back from the Minnesota bye and, at press time, on the bench, projected for 17.1. Bhayshul Tuten, 24.70 last week, starts and plays for Jacksonville, which is off. Ollie Gordon (10.9) and RJ Harvey (10.4) are on the bench. Caleb Williams goes Thursday night. As set: 89.0. Fixed: 114.7.
jsdivine starts Josh Allen and James Cook. Buffalo is on bye. For five straight weeks Jordan Love has cleared 17 points on this bench for a team that had no use for him. This week he is the only quarterback the team has, projected for 19.2. CeeDee Lamb and Javonte Williams play Monday night. As set: 88.8, a hair under the 3–3 team. Fixed: 116.8.
Desk pick: jsdivine, on the assumption that Jordan Love is finally allowed to play.The chair has been right four straight weeks, and it has picked Matthew Stafford (18.8) over Brock Purdy (20.2) again. The desk has stopped questioning the chair. Puka Nacua projects for 24.0. Breece Hall is questionable at press time and starts at FLEX. Colston Loveland, the $11 claim, is on the bench and plays Thursday. Projection: 135.9, the best on the board.
Dawnieo's quarterback carousel has been retired by the NFL schedule. Trevor Lawrence is on bye, Drake Maye starts (20.6), and for one week the decision cannot be wrong. The rest of the lineup has not been opened since Sunday. Keon Coleman and Cam Little start for teams on bye, and Romeo Doubs, now on injured reserve, is still in a receiver slot. Jahmyr Gibbs (25.6) and Sam LaPorta (12.9) are back from the Detroit bye and both on the bench. As set: 74.6, the lowest on the board. Fixed: 119.1. The only kicker on the roster is the one on bye.
Desk pick: jgirsby, by 16.8 even after the repairs.Disclosure: the desk's own franchise, which has spent the week issuing guidance on bye weeks. Until Wednesday evening its lineup started Jayden Daniels. Washington is on bye. Bo Nix, claimed for $5 that morning precisely because Washington is on bye, was on the bench. He now starts, projected for 17.3, and Daniels sits. Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and Rachaad White are also off, which leaves Tyler Higbee as the only tight end on the roster with a game. Ja'Marr Chase returns from his own bye (19.2). Omar Cooper, the McLaurin replacement, is on the bench. Projection: 125.0, up from 107.7 before the swap. The analytics department and the gut agreed on this one, which is how everyone knew it was serious.
divinethought starts Parker Washington, who plays for Jacksonville. Jared Goff is back from the Detroit bye and on the bench (18.9), behind Aaron Rodgers (17.3), who won last week's job. Tetairoa McMillan (15.0) is on the bench for a third straight week and DK Metcalf (13.2) for a second, and the desk has stopped counting out loud. Rhamondre Stevenson starts at FLEX and plays Thursday. As set: 104.7. Fixed: 125.6. The desk has won the last two meetings, by a combined 125.70.
Desk pick: divinethought, by 0.6 with both lineups fixed. The ethics office notes the desk has now picked against itself in back-to-back previews. The analytics department notes that the last one was correct.Tyler Shough, bought back for $6 this morning, is on the bench behind Dak Prescott. Tyler Warren is questionable at press time and starts at tight end, with Pat Freiermuth, the $0 claim, behind him. Christian McCaffrey (20.5), Amon-Ra St. Brown (19.8) and Nico Collins (17.0) are all healthy and all starting. No bye-week starters. Projection: 128.9.
The Burrow question has been answered by Burrow's return from the Cincinnati bye. Joe Burrow starts (19.8) and Patrick Mahomes sits (16.1), and for once the desk agrees with the screen. Saquon Barkley and Rashee Rice are both questionable at press time and both start. Brandon Aubrey kicks Monday night, which gives the belief system an extra day of preparation. Projection: 117.2. Last season's meeting went to mmcatee01 by 66.94.
Desk pick: alyssagenther, by 11.7.sammyyy29 is coming off the league's only perfect lineup of Week 6, and the tight end file stays closed: Isaiah Likely and Dalton Schultz both start again. The Jacksonville defense also starts and is on bye, and there is no other defense on the roster. Mike Evans is questionable at press time, starts, and projects for 3.1. The desk notes that without comment. Jameson Williams (11.5) and Aaron Jones (11.7) are on the bench. As set: 85.7. Fixed: 98.2, or a little more once a defense is found.
BrennaLynne has won two straight and posted the week's high score last Sunday. C.J. Stroud starts again (18.8). Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects for 21.2. Cam Skattebo, 0.00 on six snaps last week, starts again; Omarion Hampton is on the Chargers' bye, so there was not much of a choice. Projection: 120.2. sammyyy29 has won the last three meetings, which is the most confident sentence anyone has written about sammyyy29 this season.
Desk pick: BrennaLynne, by 34.5 as set and 22.0 after the repairs, plus a defense.Six lines for the group chat, all of them checkable:
The desk will not be taking questions. Its quarterback is already off the bench.