As fantasy football enthusiasts eagerly await the start of the NFL season, strategizing for bye weeks becomes an essential part of building a winning roster. With some teams having bye weeks earlier or later in the season than others, managers employ various tactics to navigate through these challenging weeks.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, some managers prefer to draft players with late bye weeks, expecting that their roster will evolve significantly before facing a deficiency. This allows them to make informed decisions based on the player pool and team needs. On the other hand, some managers choose to stack together the bye weeks of their players, accepting a potential loss in one week while aiming for victories in others.

However, an emerging strategy gaining attention is targeting players from teams sharing a "skinny bye," where only two teams have a bye week together. The rationale behind this approach is that, during those weeks, when 30 NFL teams are playing, the absence of a couple of players may not be as impactful to the fantasy lineup. These players can provide increased utility when heavier bye weeks occur later in the season. It should be noted that this strategy serves as a potential tiebreaker and should not be the sole consideration for drafting decisions.

Looking ahead to the upcoming NFL season, the bye week schedule reveals interesting patterns. In Weeks 7 and 9, only two teams will be on bye, while Weeks 12 and 14 will see a whopping six teams on break. In Week 7, the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys will share a "skinny bye," while the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers will have the same arrangement in Week 9.

Furthermore, early season schedules also play a crucial role in fantasy football planning. In September, teams face different levels of difficulty based on the collective strength of their opponents. According to projected win totals (team over/unders), teams with relatively easier schedules include the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and Seattle Seahawks.

Conversely, teams facing tougher early season schedules include the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots, Jaguars, and Rams face the challenge of playing three road games in September.

It is important to note that these rankings do not account for several other factors, such as weather, coaching, home and away games, or offensive and defensive strengths. They provide a broad overview of the expected strength of opponents solely based on projections.

While it is tempting to analyze the entire season's schedule and gauge teams' cumulative difficulty from Weeks 1 to 17 based on over-under projections, the volatility of the NFL makes this exercise purely speculative. Warren Sharp, who introduced this concept, acknowledges the inherent unpredictability of the league.

Ultimately, fantasy football success relies on a combination of sound drafting strategies, in-season roster management, and a bit of luck. As the season approaches, managers should closely monitor player news and adapt their strategies accordingly. The actual performance of teams, player injuries, and other unforeseen factors will undoubtedly shape the fantasy landscape, rendering these early predictions subject to change.

Despite the uncertainty, anticipation for the upcoming NFL season and the accompanying fantasy football season continues to grow amongst fans, who are eagerly waiting to see how their drafted teams will fare on the field.