The first of the NFL bye weeks is behind us.  Here are a few players to look for in the coming weeks to cover up bye weeks for your fantasy squad.   

Jackie Battle– RB Kansas City Chiefs (Yahoo! owned 10%): Battle had a great game this past Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts with 19 carries for 119 yards.  The Colts have allowed 145.2 yards per game this season so this may just be a one-week wonder.  The Chiefs have a bye this week but the week after the bye, they travel to Oakland to play the Raiders.  The Raiders have also had a tough time stopping the run.  If you are short on running back talent, Battle is worth a look because he should continue to get opportunities in the Chiefs backfield.

Pierre Garcon– WR Indianapolis Colts (Yahoo! owned 78%): Pierre Garcon has had a couple of great games the past few weeks.  The Colts made a quarterback change and have started the younger Curtis Painter over aged veteran Kerry Collins.  Painter has developed a good feel for where Garcon is on the field, and together they have put up decent numbers.  The Colts should be behind often enough to warrant a pickup if he is available in your league. 

Victor Cruz– WR New York Giants (Yahoo! owned 60%): The New York Giants have been very inconsistent this season.  Cruz was given a chance to play more in week 3 when Mario Manningham, New York’s no. 2 receiver, was out with a concussion.  Because Cruz had such a great game that week, he has been given every opportunity to play more.  With Manningham back, Cruz will be used in three-wide receiver sets, and I would argue that Victor Cruz might be the second most explosive asset on that team (behind Hakeem Nicks.) 

Plug-and-Play Defense-Buffalo Bills (Yahoo! owned 12%): The Buffalo Bills will travel to MetLife stadium to play the New York Giants this weekend.  The Buffalo defense picked Michael Vick off four times this past weekend and Eli Manning, and the Giants have had a tough time hanging onto the ball this season.  Just this past weekend against the Seahawks, the Giants turned the ball over five times, and Eli Manning was sacked three times.  I will be looking for much the same this weekend.