Chicago Bears 2025 Fantasy Football Preview |
Ariana Pensy
· · 5 hours ago
CHICAGO - With the Chicago Bears' first regular-season game in under two weeks, it is time for the first fantasy football preview of the year. Some people may think that the Bears are a team to steer away from, given their performance last year.
But, with head coach Ben Johnson now running the offense, there are a lot of good reasons to go all-in on Bears players. Caleb Williams - Average Pick - No. 101 Right now, quarterback Caleb Williams is being drafted outside of the top 100 picks. He is on 81 percent of rosters in Yahoo! fantasy leagues and 77 percent of ESPN leagues. This is a great spot to select a quarterback with a lot of upside. Chicago has numerous playmakers between wide receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and even Olamide Zaccheaus, to the tight end duo of Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. Running back D’Andre Swift also has the potential to get some targets out of the backfield and get a lot of yards after the catch (YAC). Starting him in the first week is a risk given how much the Minnesota Vikings’ defense utilizes the blitz, but he is definitely someone worth drafting or picking up if he is available on the waiver wire. DJ Moore - Average Pick - No. 49 Regardless of all the changes in the offseason, DJ Moore is Chicago’s No. 1 receiver, which is reflected in the fact that he is on nearly 100 percent of rosters on both Yahoo! and ESPN leagues. Williams’ accuracy was a significant factor in why Moore did not have a 1,000-yard season last year, and under Johnson, that should improve substantially. Throughout his career, regardless of the quarterback he has played with, Moore has generated consistent numbers. He probably does not have the same likelihood of achieving a 40-point performance that other players do, but he will at least provide consistent production. If he is not on your roster and you are struggling at wide receiver this season, he may be a player you want to target in a trade. Rome Odunze - Average Pick - No. 79 With Keenan Allen electing not to stay in Chicago, Odunze becomes the unquestioned No. 2 receiver. He was a red zone favorite of Williams’ last season, although he finished the season with only three touchdowns. Ben Johnson’s offense has a way of creating opportunities for talented playmakers, and Odunze is someone who should benefit from this. In addition, he is also on over 90 percent of rosters on both Yahoo! and ESPN leagues. So, fantasy owners are already tuning into the upside Odunze has in this system. Like Moore, if he is not on your roster and your receivers are struggling, Odunze is someone you could target in a trade. Because he is not as prominent a name as Moore, it may cost less to acquire Odunze in a trade versus Moore. D’Andre Swift - Average Pick - No. 59 First of all, I am admittedly not the biggest D’Andre Swift fan. It was a signing I did not like, and after his performance last season, I have concerns about whether he can truly lead Chicago’s backfield. With that in mind, Swift is being drafted too high. Yes, he is the top running back. However, that is partially attributable to the fact that some of Chicago’s other backs, including seventh-round rookie selection Kyle Monangai, are injured. When Monangai, in particular, can come back, he could cut into Swift’s production and decrease his overall fantasy value. Nonetheless, Swift could have some upside in points per reception (PPR) leagues given the likelihood of him catching some passes out of the backfield. If this comes to fruition, he may be someone to trade away. Colston Loveland - No. 115; Cole Kmet - Undrafted When Colston Loveland was selected as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it destroyed Cole Kmet’s fantasy value. Loveland got a few looks from Williams during the preseason, which seems to have spiked his fantasy value as fantasy owners see him as the No. 1 tight end on the team. Loveland is owned in 78 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 81 percent of ESPN leagues, while these numbers are three percent and one percent for Kmet, respectively. Either one is a gamble, given that they will cut into each other’s production. However, the Bears invested a lot in drafting Loveland. So, if he is available after around pick No. 110, he is worth picking up.
