Bye weeks are fully upon us, which makes managing a fantasy football roster a little bit tricky. Especially for managers who are currently fighting to stay around the .500 mark or otherwise dig their way out of a hole and get back into the playoff picture, navigating those absences can get tough. Sometimes exploring a trade or dropping a player outright can pay off if you’re desperate, but only in the right circumstances.
This week, the Jacksonville Jaguars are on a break. Should you be holding Trevor Lawrence through his Week 7 bye?
Should you hold Trevor Lawrence through the bye week?
There’s an argument to selling high on Trevor Lawrence at the moment. After all, he’s coming off his best game of the season so far. In Week 6, he and the Jags traveled to London and shredded a typically tough Texans defense – the quarterback went off for 28.3 fantasy points on a 24-for-41 passing line with four touchdowns and one interception. It was quite the day for the gunslinger, and with the bye week on deck in Week 7, perhaps some managers may be desperate for a win to stay alive. After all, he’s the overall QB3 right now and could fetch quite the haul.
However, it’s important to remain grounded in our evaluations. Here’s the reality of the situation with Lawrence.
The Jaguars are not a pass-happy team by any means. Lawrence ranks 25th among QBs with just 33.5 dropbacks per game and the team falls 27th in PROE at -1.4%, meaning they throw less in neutral situations than most other offenses. These things matter since volume often drives production. However, the quarterback has overcome the lack of attempts by way of efficiency. He’s thrown for 1,480 yards thus far with a 65.2% completion rate, averaging 246.7 YPG and a career-best 8.0 Y/A and 8.6 AY/A. He’s airing it out in a more aggressive manner than in the past, and it’s paid off, too. His 14 passing touchdowns are first in the NFL right now and his 7.6% TD% is the best of his own career, too.
That kind of scoring is what’s allowed Lawrence to overcome a lack of rushing production. During his scorching-hot stretch to end last season, he racked up a ton of rushing touchdowns and regularly used his legs to extend plays. In six games this year, he’s yet to record a single rushing touchdown (after tallying nine last season) and has just 17 rush attempts for 70 yards. Even without the rushing upside he displayed down the stretch, the results have been excellent thanks to his own play and a Jacksonville offense that has him getting to the red zone regularly – Lawrence’s 19.7 FPPG rank ninth at the position.
We get that bye weeks often lead to some desperation, but is this the type of player you trade away or cut outright during a bye? Absolutely not, unless the alternative is moving him for a clear top talent like Josh Allen. Look at what Lawrence has achieved so far. He has 20+ points in four of his six outings with high marks of 26.1 and 28.3 points in Weeks 1 and 6. He’s contributing to winning football in real life and in fantasy lineups, so he’s certainly a name to hold on to through the bye. Don’t do anything brash.
