Start of Sit'em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs. Jets |
The Chicago Bears are quite the up-and-down team this season, losing in a close game to the Falcons this past Sunday. Not only were they up and down in the game, but some of their fantasy stars were a bit up and down. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields had a relatively down game, while David Montgomery had his best fantasy game of the season.
With Fields also sustaining a shoulder injury that has left him as a game-time decision for the Bears, it shakes up a whole lot for many fantasy managers for this coming Sunday against the Jets (12 p.m./FOX). Justin Fields - Start if healthy Despite having a relatively down game, his 85 rushing yards, rushing touchdown, and passing touchdown, still garnered him more points than he was projected to score. Per Yahoo!, Fields is ranked as the No. 5 overall player in fantasy football. Even with the Jets ranked as the No. 10 rushing defense in the NFL, if Fields is available, he should be started in all fantasy formats. The only concern for Fields would be that since he is not in full health, he may not run the ball as much as he has recently. However, a number of his runs are not designed runs, so he may still need to run the ball, particularly with the Jets' pass rush that currently has 32 sacks on the season. Trevor Siemian - Sit If Fields is not available for the Bears, Trevor Siemian, who has not started a game since November of last year, would be the starter. In that game, he completed 17 of 29 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, as well as an interception. Given that the Jets are also ranked No. 10 in passing defense while the Bears are still last in passing offense, Chicago will need to rely on the rushing game to have a chance at winning this game. This approach to winning the game will probably not give Siemian too many opportunities to score fantasy points. David Montgomery - Start With rookie Khalil Herbert going on Injured Reserve (IR), Montgomery reclaimed his role as the starting running back against the Falcons, and he delivered. Not only did he rush for 67 rushing yards and a touchdown, but he also had three receptions for 54 receiving yards. His involvement in the passing game especially adds value to him in any point-per-reception (PPR) league. If Fields is able to play, Montgomery should see the same number of carries. In the event that Fields cannot play, Montgomery will probably have an even bigger role in the best rushing offense in the league, as the Bears are averaging 197.9 rushing yards per game. Either way, Montgomery should be started in any lineup. Darnell Mooney - Sit Mooney has had some good games the past few weeks. But, if Siemian starts at quarterback, this hurts Mooney’s fantasy projections. Fields has a strong connection with Mooney, which has shown greatly since Week 3. Currently, he is averaging seven targets per game. But, he only averages 44.8 receiving yards per game. Throughout the whole season, Mooney has been a more valuable wide receiver in full PPR (FPPR) and half PPR (HPPR) leagues due to the attention Fields gives him. With a different quarterback in Siemian, Mooney may not receive this attention as those two have not worked together nearly as often. Siemian averages about 222.9 passing yards in games he has started, so he may not be throwing the ball much at all. Furthermore, with the Bears’ strength being in the rushing game, that is what Chicago will rely on to win. This does not serve to help Mooney at all. He shouldn’t be started this week, but is still a consideration for 10 to 12-team leagues, FPPR, and HPPR leagues going forward. Cole Kmet - Sit Kmet faces the same problem as Mooney with Siemian at quarterback. Even if Fields is able to play, it is unclear how effective he will be. Furthermore, the Jets are a solid defense going against tight ends, ranked No. 19 in allowing points to tight ends this season according to Yahoo! He also had a down game against the Falcons last week with only three receptions for 35 yards, both being his lowest since Week 8 against the Cowboys and his first game without a touchdown since Week 7 against the Patriots. As has been said, Kmet is pretty touchdown-dependent. Given that, and the uncertainty at quarterback, Kmet is something that should be benched this week and perhaps started again when Fields is back to full health. Chicago Defense - Start Depending on Available Defenses The Bears are only rostered in 6% of Yahoo! fantasy football leagues. While this is understandable given they only have scored 49 fantasy points this season so far, the fourth-lowest in the NFL (only the Browns (38), Raiders (40), and Chargers (42) have scored less). However, the Jets, after starting the season hot, being led by rookie running back Breece Hall, have struggled as of late. This struggle reached a head against the Patriots this past Sunday after the offense only had two total yards in the second half. With second-year quarterback Zach Wilson being benched for Mike White who has only started three career games, if you are in need of a defense, the Bears could be a good pickup with a surprising amount of fantasy points.
