Start’em or Sit’em for Fantasy Football: Bears vs Buccaneers |
The first week of fantasy football did not go well for Bears players, except Darnell Mooney who had a decent showing. In the first week of the NFL season, things are typically a bit unpredictable and off. So, going into the second week always leads to the question of whether what he was in the first week will be what we see all season or was it a fluke.
The game against the Packers was a fluke. It was most certainly against the worst possible opponent, but it was still a fluke. While Fields does have a problem with fumbling the ball, he usually does not lose his fumbles. In fact, out of 29 career fumbles, he has only lost the ball eight times. He definitely needs to fix this issue, but it usually does not impact fantasy owners. It is also no secret that the points you are going to get from Fields will come more on the ground than in the air. Historically, Fields has put up some lower scores in the month of September but is significantly better in October. That surely presents a problem right now, but his rushing ability should still compensate for his lack of passing yards and probable lack of passing touchdowns.
There is a case to be made either way. Fields is the leading rusher on the Bears. Despite only having 27 rushing yards, he did have three receptions for 37 yards, which made his score solid in any points per reception (PPR) leagues. However, the Buccaneers did allow 328 receiving yards last week. So perhaps Herbert could improve his fantasy numbers in Week 2 with more points in the passing game. Still, it is very difficult given he only had 64 total yards, which is not sustainable on a fantasy team through the whole season.
Given the amount of receiving yards Tampa Bay allowed last week, this should work out well for DJ Moore, who caught both of his targets in the opener for a total of 25 yards. There is a lot of value in a receiver that is catching the ball when targeted. For example, Tee Higgins on the Cincinnati Bengals put up zero points last week despite eight targets. Moore had a fourth of the targets and still had points. There is something to be said for that reliability and that is something that Fields and the coaching staff should recognize going into the second week. Also, when you have a blockbuster trade for a receiver, you get that receiver the ball.
Tight ends are difficult in fantasy football. So when one of them has five receptions for 44 yards, that is really good, especially if you are in a PPR league. Out of the non-running back players, Kmet had the most receptions and was second in receiving yards in the opener. Unless you have Travis Kelce or TJ Hockenson, Kmet is something you should start.
The one nice surprise for Bears fans from the season opener was running back Roschon Johnson. Johnson had the most receptions out of any Bear in the season opener with six for 35 yards, as well as 20 rushing yards and a touchdown. He seems like he will definitely be a thorn in Herbert’s side throughout the season. Currently, he is a little touchdown-dependent since he only had 55 total yards. However, with six receptions, Johnson definitely has a lot of upside in PPR leagues.Justin Fields - Start
Khalil Herbert - Start, Maybe?
DJ Moore - Start
Cole Kmet - Start
Roschon Johnson - Consider Starting in PPR Leagues
