Week 7 bye-week chaos hits early with Bills and Ravens idle, but the bigger wave arrives in Week 8 as six teams sit out. Build for Week 8 now: stash Week 8 fill-ins at QB (Dart, McCarthy, Penix Jr., Flacco), at RB (Vidal, Marks, Gainwell, Allgeier, Spears, Miller), at WR (Nacua, Smith-Njigba, St. Brown, Doubs, Downs, Pierce), and at TE (McBride, LaPorta, Bowers). Stream DSTs: Bills, Chargers, Falcons. Don’t ignore kickers—benching them is a trap.

Rosters should anticipate bye-week landmines by prioritizing backups with clear paths to volume in Week 8. The piece highlights specific matchups and fallbacks to weather the waiver-wire rush, emphasizing depth at every position and smart streaming defenses as Week 8 approaches.

Brock Purdy is back at practice in a limited role as toe soreness persists, clouding Week 5 plans after a 300-yard, two-INT outing. Mac Jones has stepped in with a 3-1 mark, keeping SF’s offense afloat while Purdy heals. George Kittle nears a return with a 21-day window to practice, and Jake Tonges has emerged as a reliable TE depth option. Sunday’s SF vs. Atlanta matchup could hinge on Purdy’s health and Kittle’s availability, shaping fantasy rosters as depth players fill in behind the top targets.

At the trade deadline the Saints could become major sellers, eyeing a rebuild with a mix of veterans and young talent such as Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan. Gilbert McGregor of Sporting News ties Brandin Cooks to the Buffalo Bills as a practical, affordable WR upgrade to stabilize a thin receiving corps, echoing recent Amari Cooper-type moves rather than signaling a mega-splash.

The piece emphasizes Buffalo’s need for reliable targets for Josh Allen and frames Cooks as a veteran depth option who could help now without forcing drastic capital losses for New Orleans.