The Chiefs and the Panthers are off this week, and this league found out the hard way. When this newspaper pulled the lineups on Thursday morning, Jeff had Travis Kelce in his flex, Josh had Chuba Hubbard at running back, Kevin had the Chiefs defense, and Michael — three straight weeks of 140 or more, second in the league in points — had Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Kenneth Walker at running back. Five starters, zero games. Michael’s situation is the one worth watching, because his only other quarterback is Baker Mayfield, who is listed Out, and his bench running backs are Mike Washington and Tank Bigsby, who is on injured reserve. He plays Sean, who is 4-0, scored 167 last week, and leads the series 14-4. If Michael’s lineup still says Mahomes at kickoff, Marcus has asked me to note that the Numbers Desk will be “unable to help.”

Then there is Anthony, who had nobody at quarterback. Not a bye — nobody. On Wednesday night at 9:00 he cut Justin Herbert, who had given him 10.26, 1.88, 10.74 and 5.56 in four starts, and claimed Drake Maye, who John P. started twice for 6.82 and 5.02 and then dropped. Twenty-four minutes later Anthony put in a claim for Jacoby Brissett, which failed. So as of Thursday morning Maye is on Anthony’s bench and the quarterback slot is empty, which is a bold way to follow a 138-point week. John E., who is 0-4, put in a claim for Maye at 8:54 Thursday morning, roughly twelve hours after Anthony got him, and a claim for the Jaguars defense at 7:54, roughly twelve hours after mike got them. John E. then signed the Commanders defense at 9:09 and will start Trevor Lawrence — 4.16 in Week 2, you’ll remember — because Tyler Shough is questionable.

And Keon Coleman. Owen cut him on Saturday night to sign Brian Robinson, tried to claim him back on Sunday afternoon and failed, because you can’t, and then John E. claimed him Tuesday at 7:35 a.m. Owen tried again at 4:14 that afternoon. Jonathan tried at 6:32. John P. tried at 8:12. Four failed claims for a receiver who was a free agent for about two and a half days. He’s in John E.’s flex. Owen got Will Shipley instead, and John P. tried for Shipley too, and failed at that too. John P. is 1-3 and has now been beaten to the same player twice in one evening.

The slate

Sean vs. Michael. Covered above, but the numbers deserve a line: Sean has 557.18 points, Michael 545.66, first and second in the league, and only one of them has both a quarterback and a running back named Walker available on Sunday. CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aubrey go tonight for Sean. Michael has James Cook and Davante Adams on Monday night, so if this is close it will take four days, and if Mahomes is still in the lineup it will not be close.

Timothy vs. Jeff. Both 3-1. Jeff leads 12-10 and starts Kelce on a bye; he has Romeo Doubs, 23.8 on his bench last week, available. Timothy lost by 0.48 with Kamara on his bench and has Dak Prescott and Emeka Egbuka tonight, Saquon questionable, and a milestone: a win is his 100th in the regular season. Jeff has Josh Allen and Dalton Kincaid on Monday.

Josh vs. Nick. Nick is 0-4. Josh is 1-3. For the season they are 0.82 points apart — Nick 419.56, Josh 418.74 — and have lost seven games between them: Josh scoring 104, 79 and 135, Nick scoring 115, 134, 107 and 64. Nick leads the series 12-6 and is starting Kyler Murray over Jared Goff again, one week after Kyler gave him 7.48 and Goff gave the bench 19.48. Josh has Hubbard on a bye and three questionable starters — Croskey-Merritt, Higgins, McConkey — with J.K. Dobbins sitting there healthy. Chase McLaughlin kicks tonight.

Jonathan vs. Owen. Owen leads 12-11 and scored 150 last week; Jonathan lost the 4-0 game and then went out and claimed Cam Little, the kicker John E. cut last Thursday, because Harrison Butker is on a bye. He dropped Malik Willis to do it, which means the player he got from John E. in September is gone and the player John E. threw away is kicking for him. Kenyon Sadiq, 0.0 last week, is still the tight end; Tucker Kraft, 16.5 on the bench, is still on the bench. Javonte Williams goes tonight for Owen; Zay Flowers is questionable.

Anthony vs. John P. Anthony leads 11-7 and has McMillan — 44.2 last week, the best line of the season — on a bye, along with the quarterback situation described above. John P. starts Kirk Cousins, 22.6 on his bench last week, because Bryce Young is off, and Roman Wilson at receiver with Rashee Rice questionable. Kyren Williams, 36.7 last week, plays Monday night. A win is Anthony’s 130th in the regular season.

John E. vs. mike. mike leads 11-8 and is coming off the win: 0.48, no defense. He has a defense this week. We checked. It’s the Jaguars, claimed Wednesday night, and he swapped kickers too — Matt Gay for Tyler Loop — and has Irving and Pickens tonight and Stafford and Nacua on Monday. John E. is 0-4 with Lawrence at quarterback, Keon Coleman in the flex, Chase and Moore both questionable on the bench, and the Commanders defense he signed this morning. The all-time wins leader has lost to four different managers in four weeks. mike would be the fifth.

Tim vs. Kevin. 8-8 after sixteen games, and it breaks Sunday. Tim is 3-1 — only his third 3-1 start — with Lamar Jackson, Brock Bowers and Kyle Monangai all questionable, which is three of his top four scorers from last week. Kevin is 2-2 with the Chiefs defense in the lineup on a bye and the Bengals defense on his bench, and Jake Ferguson tonight.

Records and points through Week 4. All-time series include playoffs. Injury designations and lineups from Sleeper as of Thursday morning, October 8: O = Out, D = Doubtful, Q = Questionable, IR = injured reserve; bye = Chiefs or Panthers player in the starting lineup. Thursday night: Buccaneers at Cowboys. Monday night: Bills at Rams.