Start’em or Sit’em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs. Lions |
It has been a rough time for fantasy owners who have invested in Chicago Bears players, and it came at the worst possible time, as the fantasy playoffs are underway.
Facing the Detroit Lions this coming Sunday (Noon / FOX), who have been allowing a lot of points lately, perhaps now is the time to take a gamble and put some Chicago Bears players back in your lineup. Caleb Williams - Start If You Like Upside The playoffs are the most opportune time to take risks. If you have an unreliable quarterback and need someone to start, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams may be a good option. The last time he faced the Lions, Williams put up 256 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. While fumbles have been a problem recently, he has not been throwing interceptions. In fact, Williams does not have a single interception during Chicago's eight-game losing streak. The Lions have been allowing a lot of points in the two games since their Thanksgiving victory against Chicago. In fact, they have allowed 79 points in that span. Although those games were against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, who have been better scoring offenses than the Bears, it does show that defensive injuries are starting to catch up to Detroit. This means Williams has the opportunity to help the Bears put up a lot of points. Caleb Williams All 17 TD Highlights || Through week 15 || @NFL @ChicagoBears @CALEBcsw has a passer rating of 87.7 with 2,937 yards, 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 14 games this season. Check out the highlights for all 17 TDs thrown so far for the Chicago Bears pic.twitter.com/3GqmaGHuPh DJ Moore - Start William’s favorite target the last time Chicago played the Detroit Lions was elite receiver DJ Moore, who was targeted 16 times. Detroit gives up a lot of receptions and receiving yards, which also benefits Moore. In addition, the Bears are finding ways to incorporate Moore in the running game, as he had three rushing attempts last week against the Minnesota Vikings. He is a must-start in all fantasy formats, especially in points-per-reception (PPR) leagues. Bears WR DJ Moore visited with 50 children from Crushers Club, a non-profit based in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, for an evening of bowling, dinner, and fun! Crushers Club works with at-risk boys and men to provide the tools and resources needed to restore their lives. pic.twitter.com/8HlF9s78EF D’Andre Swift - Sit Despite backup running back Roschon Johnson out the past two weeks, Swift’s production has not been great. He should have had a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings, but a penalty negated it. Swift has averaged 3.9 yards per carry this season, which is a career-low. He averages 58.6 yards per game, which is not sustainable for a fantasy team. In addition, Johnson was not on the final injury report and will be active against the Detroit Lions, which will further hamper Swift’s production and probably cut into time on the field. He should stay on the bench in all fantasy formats. Keenan Allen - Start in PPR Leagues The last time Chicago played the Lions was also a strong game for Allen who found the end zone twice. Last week against the Vikings, Allen was targeted 13 times. His chemistry with Williams is growing. That makes him a valuable person to start. However, starting him in non-PPR leagues may be too risky, as Allen does not record a lot of yards. He has not recorded a 100-yard game all season. This makes him touchdown-dependent in non-PPR leagues, where his volume makes him a reasonable start in PPR leagues. Thus, he should only be in the lineup in PPR leagues. Rome Odunze - Sit Odunze is intriguing. He is second on the Bears in receiving yards and third in receptions and touchdowns while also being first in yards per reception with 13.3 yards. However, his production is highly volatile. During the playoffs, it is too much of a risk to start someone like Odunze. But, if you are in a dynasty league, Odunze is a person to keep around, as he could have an increase in production next year, especially if Allen does not return to Chicago.
