Start’em or Sit’em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs. Chiefs

Matt Marton - USA Today Sports

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Sat Sep 23 09:47:50 GMT-05:00 2023

It has been quite tumultuous in the first two weeks of fantasy for Chicago Bears players. Justin Fields has not put up the numbers people thought he would. DJ Moore seemed poised to boom in Week 2 after starting the game with two catches for 64 yards, but ended up having an average day for an NFL wide receiver. So what should fantasy owners do this week against the reigning champions?

Justin Fields - Sit

I want to believe in Justin Fields, especially in fantasy where his rushing is even more valued. However, it just is not happening right now. He had three rushing yards last game, which is tied with his first career NFL game for the least amount of rushing yards he has ever had in a game. You would think it can only go up from there but with an offensive line that cannot protect him, especially with another linemen going on injured reserve (IR), but against Chris Jones on the Chiefs, it could actually get worse. Given the matchup and his production thus far, he is a player to sit for this week.

Khalil Herbert - Start in Some Leagues in Flex

Herbert is not to the level of a starting running back for fantasy owners. Through the first two games, he has a total of 16 rushing attempts for 62 yards. He also is not helping people in points per reception (PPR) leagues since he has a total of four receptions. If you are in a league with 12 teams, especially given the running back injuries to Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley and questionable tags for other running backs like David Montgomery, Travis Etienne and Isiah Pacheco, Herbert is someone who can be started but is probably a better option in Flex than as a top running back.

DJ Moore - Start, Maybe …

Moore had a great start to Week 2 against the Buccaneers. While it did not quite pan out the way fantasy owners hoped for, he still had a 100-yard game. The only question mark, besides playing the Chiefs, is that the Bears offense is inconsistent. In the first week, he only had two targets. In the second, seven targets. So, it is hard for fantasy owners to know for sure that Moore can be relied on to put up a lot of points. Also, I would not count on Moore getting in the end zone this week. Overall, he is someone worth starting after his performance last week, but fantasy owners should still be a bit cautious.

Cole Kmet - Start

The tight end position is just difficult. There is Travis Kelce and then there is Sam LaPorta who has surprisingly been consistent in Detroit. But, you do not have a lot of reliable tight ends besides that. Cole Kmet, however, has been one exception. He has had 13 targets over the first two games. That has culminated in nine receptions for 82 yards. His numbers are not great, but they are satisfactory enough if you are in need of a few points.

Cairo Santos - Start in some leagues

If you need a consistent kicker, Santos is definitely consistent. In each of his first two games, he has scored seven points. He has made three field goals, one for 52 yards. It should not be expected that the Bears are going to be consistently scoring touchdowns on Kansas City. But it does seem reasonable to think that they could get in field goal range two or three times. So, if you are fine with getting seven points at kicker, which is not horribly bad, then Santos is an alright option to start at kicker.