Start’em or Sit’em in Fantasy Football: Bears v. Raiders

Lon Horwedel - USA Today Sports

Ariana Pensy · Correspondent · 6 hours ago

CHICAGO - Anyone with quarterback Caleb Williams in their starting lineup most likely won this past week after his four-touchdown performance. Most Bears players worth starting put up decent numbers as Williams spread those touchdowns around, including to receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore.

Caleb Williams - Start

After Williams’ performance against the Dallas Cowboys, the percentage of ESPN fantasy leagues he was rostered in increased 10.3 percent. He is also the third-best quarterback fantasy-wise through the first three weeks. This is not surprising. He has thrown over 200 passing yards in every game, takes care of the football and has scored at least two touchdowns every week. He also has some rushing upside as he has at least five rushing attempts in each game so far. Chicago will take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 28 (3:25 p.m. / CBS). The Raiders have a decent defense. However, Williams has faced tougher matchups and still put up solid numbers.

If he is available in your league, pick him up. If you are in a guillotine league, get him on your roster. If you have Caleb Williams, he must be in your starting lineup. Also, given the prevalence of quarterback injuries so far this season, he would be a good player to try to trade for if you can afford it.

Rome Odunze - Start

While the Raiders are a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to allowing fantasy points to quarterbacks, they allow the fifth-most points to wide receivers. Odunze is the third-best wide receiver in full-point-per-reception (PPR) leagues, averaging over 20 points per game. He has at least one touchdown in every game and at least seven targets in every matchup. His game against the Dallas Cowboys was actually his worst of the season, which is saying a lot given had 15.2 points.

At this point, Odunze is a must-start no matter who you have on your roster. If you have a weak wide receiver group, try to make a trade for Odunze. A stack with Williams and Odunze would be even better if you can make it happen.

DJ Moore - Sit unless in a 12-Team League

Odunze has clearly taken over as the No. 1 wide receiver in Chicago. Through the first three weeks, Moore has had 16 targets with 12 receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown came against the Cowboys. Williams is not going to throw for four touchdowns every week, and there is a much greater chance of Odunze being the one in the endzone than Moore. Therefore, it seems that Moore has become touchdown-dependent for fantasy value. If you are in an eight- or ten-team league, there is probably enough depth on your roster to keep Moore on the bench. However, if you are in a 12-team league, then he is someone who can stay in the lineup. He probably will not have a lot of points, but will give you decent production.

D’Andre Swift - Sit unless maybe in a PPR League

For a player who is the clear No. 1 running back on the team, Swift should have a lot more production than he does. His best fantasy performance was against the Detroit Lions, and that is because he happened to have a touchdown. Like Moore, it seems Swift is touchdown-dependent. However, Swift is not capitalizing on the opportunities he is getting on the ground. He has yet to eclipse 65 rushing yards in a game and mustered only 33 rushing yards against Dallas. Where he does have some upside is in PPR leagues, as Swift has three receptions in each of the first three games of the season. Still, his production is not great.

So, if you are not in a PPR league, keep him on the bench. If you are in a PPR league, think about starting him depending on the running back depth you have.

Luther Burden III - Sit

So far this season, no wide receiver has had a reception longer than rookie receiver Luther Burden III’s 65-yard touchdown on the flea-flicker against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished that game with three receptions for 101 yards and the score. This has prompted some to consider him worthy of starting. Burden III has not gotten to that point yet. However, he has still only played on 24 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps this season. If you have room on your bench, he would not be a bad pickup. But he is definitely not someone who should be in the starting lineup.