Start’em or Sit’em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs Raiders |
The Vikings game was a rough week for fantasy owners. Quarterback Justin Fields was announced out for this game, changing the entire fantasy landscape. Still, there is one player you can count on to give you points this week - receiver DJ Moore.
DJ Moore - Start Even with a different quarterback, Moore is the unquestionable No. 1 receiver on this team. Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent will be getting first-team reps this week since Fields is not practicing, meaning he will have a bit of time to develop some chemistry with Moore. The Raiders defense has allowed eight passing touchdowns so far this season. While Moore did not have a touchdown last week, that was probably due to a lack of chemistry between Bagent and Moore. With a receiver like Moore, a change in quarterback does not affect his starting status. Roschon Johnson - Start If Available With Khalil Herbert on injured reserve (IR), this rookie running back will be the starter if he is cleared to play. Currently, he is in concussion protocol and is listed as questionable after missing last week’s game against the Vikings. The Raiders are in the middle of the pack for rushing defense, ranking No. 12 in yards per carry allowed with 4.3. They have, however, given up seven rushing touchdowns this season. The Bears, on the other hand, are tied for No. 5 in the NFL in rushing touchdowns on offense. With a rookie quarterback most likely starting the game, the running game will be even more important. Thus, Johnson should be getting a lot of carries. He also has the benefit of potentially being a good target in the screen game. Bagent and Johnson both started the season as backups, meaning they most likely got more reps together throughout the offseason. All in all, Johnson has a lot of upside, and particularly with players like Derrick Henry on bye, he should definitely be started if available. Update: Johnson was announced out of Sunday's game. D’Onta Foreman - Sit In the event that Johnson is not available, Foreman would be the next running back up. However, when this was the case last week, Darrynton Evans cut into Foreman’s carries a lot and so did Fields. While Fields will most likely be unavailable, Bagent was also running the ball a little (albeit two carries). Thus, Foreman would become incredibly touchdown-dependent. If you feel he will surely score, then he could be worth starting. But if you do not want to take the risk, then Foreman should be a sit. Cole Kmet - Start Depending on Roster Nine different players caught the ball in the loss to the Vikings, the most out of any game this season. Kmet had two of those catches for nine yards. He only had three targets, his lowest since week three against the Kansas City Chiefs. Bagent most likely starting does not seem like it will help matters, although getting some reps in this week should improve that aspect a little bit. Consistent tight ends are hard to come by in fantasy. Kmet does consistently get some attention in the passing game. So, he is worth starting unless you have one of the elite tight ends in the NFL like Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta (who is questionable) and TJ Hockenson. Chicago Defense - Something to Think About There are clearly more reliable defenses out there. But if you are a risk-taker, the Raiders might have a backup quarterback and they are No. 22 in touchdowns this season with only 10. Even the Bears have more touchdowns. If Jimmy Garropollo is unavailable, then this is something that should be considered.
