Fantasy Football Team Preview: Chicago Bears
Fantasy Football Team Preview: Chicago Bears
Welcome back for another Fantasy Football Team Preview. We hope you enjoyed the AFC and NFC West, but it is now time move on to the NFC Central Chicago Bears. John Fox had run his course as the Bears coach, and upper management was finally willing to let General Manager Ryan Pace choose his coach. He brought in one of the younger football minds in Matt Nagy. He has learned his offense through one of the great offensive minds in the NFL, Andy Reid.
We at FantasyCPR are here to provide you a comprehensive look at the depth of each NFL Team from the perspective of fantasy football manager. There is a long list of exciting players on the Bears this year, which is something we have not been able to say for a while. It started with the quarterback last year, and now a new coaching staff, minus Vic Fangio.
The Bears will have a whole new look this season with additions to the roster that could really have a positive impact on the offense. Through the draft, and free agency, the Bears are looking to build their way back up in the division that they have sat at the bottom of over the last several seasons. The NFC Central looks to be one of the harder divisions with the Vikings, and Aaron Rodgers with the Packers. It was a disappointing season to watch, however it was expected while they are looking to rebuild.
Fantasy Football Team Preview: Quarterback
Mitchell “Don’t Call Me Mitch” Trubisky was the 2nd overall pick in 2017. The Bears had their pick of the litter moving into the two spot and decided he was their can’t miss target. He came out of college as a very raw product with only 13 starts but showed good accuracy, a strong-arm and the ability to use his legs.
The Bears signed Mike Glennon prior to the draft, so it came as a bit of a surprise to some when they selected Trubisky. He wasn’t supposed to play at all last season in order to learn the league. However, Glennon proved to be a $17 million bust in his short-lived season as a starter. Trubisky showed flashes, but looked overwhelmed at times.
With a new coach in town, Matt Nagy, and a new offensive scheme, there could be growing pains. But look for Trubisky to improve upon last season. They replenished his weapons with the addition of Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, and second round pick Anthony Miller. You shouldn’t look to use an early pick on Trubisky unless you’re in a dynasty league, but remember his name as a potential backup or waiver wire pick during the season.
Daniel will be the back up to Trubisky, but will also serve as a mentor. He is well accustomed to Matt Nagy’s offense as he was brought over from Kansas City. He showed the ability to sling it in their recent preseason game as the Bears elected to rest most of their first stringers. He went 15-18 with 198 pass yards and two touchdowns. Daniel also added 47 rushing yards.
Similar to Daniel, Bray was also with the Chiefs last year, and just another teammate to bounce ideas and help guide Trubisky through Nagy’s playbook. He is an imposing quarterback out of the University of Tennessee at 6’6” and 215 LBS. He had a good college career but did not project as well to the NFL and went undrafted.
Fantasy Football Team Preview: Running Back
As an Indiana graduate, I can honestly say I expected big things out of Howard, even though he fell to the 5th round in 2016. He is a bruising back who breaks a bunch of tackles and almost always falls forward. One downside of Howard is that he has been inefficient as a receiver, which limits his ceiling in PPR leagues. However, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, “He has been working with new running back coach Charles London on hand placement and looking the ball in.”
Even with the addition of Tarik Cohen, and all of these other offensive weapons, Howard will look to have another season of 1,000+ rushing yards. He did add 23 receptions last season, so if he is working hard on this weakness, then we might be able to expect 30+ in his third year. Don’t be afraid to pick up Howard, even if the league is PPR. Let’s not forget that touchdowns are king, and if the Bears offense is improved, they should have plenty of goal line opportunities.
The Human Joystick or Chicken Salad. The small, but über elusive running back had to prove his small frame could hold up out of North Carolina A&T. Personally, it seems like many of the smaller ball carriers are harder to bring down with a lower center of gravity. He hides behind big offensive lineman and then pops out to find an opening for huge gains.
His best ability though is his ability to catch passes. He is the definition of lightning pairing up with the thunder, Jordan Howard. Matt Nagy proved in 2017 to rely heavily on short passes with running backs as Kareem Hunt saw 63 targets. Cohen is not the feature back in this offense, so it is hard to say he’ll match those numbers. But he will be a spark plug in this new offense and could break out for a long touchdown at any time.
Ryan Nall/Benny Cunningham/Knile Davis
The third running back spot is completely up for grabs. Undrafted rookie out Oregon State, Ryan Nall is having a nice preseason thus far. But the Bears having carried a bunch of extra running backs, making it impossible to know what direction they are leaning. Cunningham was with the team last season, so maybe it is his spot to lose. Knile Davis was recently brought on as well to fight for the position.
Fantasy Football Team Preview: Wide Receiver
It was just a few years ago that Allen Robinson was considered one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL. In 2015, he led the league in touchdowns with 14 and added 1,400 receiving yards. He suffered a major knee injury that kept him out basically all of last season. He is healthy and ready to go, but it remains to be seen how his body reacts to the injury.
He should lead the team in targets as the clear number one receiver. It is just a matter of how he will gel with young quarterback, Mitch Trubisky and fit in Matt Nagy’s offense. His length and leaping ability allows him to reach jump balls that defenders can’t get to. He should see a lot of red zone targets, but may take a little bit of time to get back into the groove of live game speed.
His demeanor screams superstar. I don’t know if I would go that far yet, but the skills are there. Some are saying he could be the next Antonio Brown. I see a little more Randall Cobb. Bears have focused on throwing to tight ends though and haven’t involved the receivers much in the preseason. Hopefully that changes as the season gets underway.
With Memphis, Miller had two consecutive seasons of 95+ receptions, 1,400+ yards and double-digit touchdowns. The Bears moved up in the 2nd round to get him and it could pay huge dividends as they have been looking for depth at receiver.
Kevin White was supposed to be the Bears savior on offense the year they drafted him. The big bodied receiver killed it at the NFL combine with a 4.35 40-yard dash. However, the former first round pick has suffered season ending injuries in each of his three seasons.
Will he stay healthy this year? Either way, he has some catching up to do to earn the trust of his quarterback and coaches. He has survived the preseason thus far, with one game to go. The receiver position is deep with the Bears this season which hurts any value he may have had. White can be a mid-season pick up if he shows the ability to stay on the field.
Gabriel is a speedster that should benefit from an offense that relies on short passes and yards after the catch. He is a similar build to Tarik Cohen and could challenge him in a race. With the Falcons in 2016, he had 579 yards and six touchdowns. With the nickname Turbo, he could be an exciting player to watch, but may not factor into a fantasy season unless you are in a deep league.
Fantasy Football Team Preview: Tight End, Kicker and D/ST
Burton may not have contributed much in the receiving game of the Super Bowl, but he played a big role with a passing touchdown. Now with a new team, he looks primed for a breakout season. He has the size and athletic ability to get open, and take advantage of yards after the catch.
Matt Nagy, the former offensive coordinator in Kansas City had a great weapon in Travis Kelce, who proved to be one of the top tight ends in football. Ryan Pace and the Bears pulled the trigger quick to land Burton, which leads me to believe they feel he can fit into this offense similar to the way Kelce does for the Chiefs.
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All of the buzz surrounding Burton right will likely boost his ADP in many leagues. Let’s remember that he has never been the feature tight end as he has been the backup for Zach Ertz in Philadelphia. On top of that, we haven’t had the opportunity to see the first team reps throughout an entire game in Nagy’s sophisticated offense.
The nickname Baby Gronk probably isn’t fair to Shaheen, as Gronk is a generational type tight end. Where Shaheen is similar though is in the size and ability to win a jump ball and adds surprising speed. Often times it will require more than one person to take him down.
The Bears have been unable to find a replacement for Robbie Gould. They have rolled the dice on a bunch of kickers since his departure. They have tried Connor Barth, Roberto Aguayo, Cairo Santos and Mike Nugent. Now they have settled on Cody Parkey, who has been good so far in his young career. He went 4-4 from 50+ yards in his rookie year and is 6-7 in his career.
D/ST
The Bears may not have done well in the standings in 2017, but they did have a solid defense. They were successful in bringing back defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio and CB Kyle Fuller. Then, they used their first round pick on Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith, the middle linebacker out of Georgia. He brings speed from the linebacker position that Bears fans haven’t had since Brian Urlacher retired.
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You may need to look passed the first game of the season as the Bears take on their long time rival Green Bay Packers led by Aaron Rodgers. He has had his way with the Bears in his career and has the nationally televised Sunday night game.