Start’em or Sit’em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs. Lions |
Ariana Pensy
· · 2 hours ago
CHICAGO - Except for quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, who had six receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown, Chicago had a rough fantasy night in their season opener.
Wide receiver DJ Moore losing two points right at the end stung, while running back D’Andre Swift only had 53 rushing yards and added 12 yards in the passing game. Now, the Bears prepare for another difficult division matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sun. Sept. 14 (Noon / FOX). Caleb Williams - Start This was a little unexpected, but it appears Williams may have some rushing upside. The offensive line struggled against the Minnesota Vikings, causing Williams to scramble on six occasions. On those six runs, he picked up 58 yards and had a touchdown. While the statistics from the Vikings game may not be eye-popping, and the offense was disappointing to watch, his fantasy performance was not. There is no reason to expect he will have to scramble less against the Lions, but there is certainly a chance for him to have more than one passing touchdown. If your quarterback situation is iffy and you need someone with a high ceiling, Williams should be in your lineup. If you do not currently have him, he is available in nearly 30 percent of ESPN leagues and about 25 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so there is a chance to get him off the waiver wire before Sunday. DJ Moore - Consider Sitting, Especially If You are Not in a PPR League Obviously, the lost fumble at the end hurt his fantasy production. However, he did not even have that good of a score prior to the fumble. Moore was only targeted five times. Conversely, Odunze was targeted nine times and receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was targeted seven times. Throughout his career, Moore has had success against the Lions, scoring five touchdowns in seven games against them. He also has 696 receiving yards in the seven times he has faced Detroit, averaging almost 100 yards per game. This could be a favorable matchup for him. However, if you are not in a points per reception (PPR) league, he does not have as much of an upside. Rome Odunze - Start, Especially in PPR Leagues The chemistry between Williams and Odunze is real. There is actually an argument to be made that he is Chicago’s No. 1 receiver, at least from a fantasy perspective. Williams had a tendency to target Odunze more in the redzone last season, even though he finished the year with three touchdowns. Odunze already has one this year and could score his first career touchdown against the Lions this Sunday. Especially with the volume of targets he got in week one, Odunze should be someone in your starting lineup week one. D’Andre Swift - Sit In Chicago’s two games against the Lions last season, Swift combined for 20 rushes for 59 yards and no touchdowns. That is practically what he did in week one against the Minnesota Vikings. Clearly, the run game is struggling, and head coach Ben Johnson has already talked about getting rookie Kyle Monangai involved in the running game more. Furthermore, running back Roschon Johnson has a chance to make his season debut against Detroit as he was able to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, although he was limited. With Monangai getting involved and Johnson potentially returning, they will likely reduce Swift’s workload, as Swift was not utilizing it effectively anyway. Until he proves he can carry this team, he should stay on the bench. Olamide Zaccheaus - Sit, But Keep Him on Your Bench Zaccheaus was targeted seven times and finished the game with four receptions for 48 yards. Williams wants to target him, and it appears he is going to be more involved in the passing game than initially thought. If you are in a guillotine league, he may not be worth picking up given there are probably players with more upside available each week. However, in any other league format, getting Zaccheaus on your roster may be a good call, especially if he continues to see an increase in targets.
