It is officially the biggest weekend for fantasy football. Most fantasy drafts take place between now and the start of the NFL season. if you are like me, you probably enjoy drafting at least one player on the Chicago Bears. Well, don't worry, we have you covered.
I have been playing fantasy football for over two decades. The game has changed immensely since I played in my first league. We have seen rosters change from a few standard lineups to massive lineups that even include individual defensive players (IDP). Note, that I am not going to give you any IDP advice in this article. I have experience in it and honestly prefer it to more standard leagues, but they are not as common, and it's not worth it to dive that deep right now. Instead, we will look at all of the notable players on offense, when to select the Bears' defense, and even when to take Cairo Santos.
This advice will be based on a 12-team league and must be adjusted if you are playing a league filled with Chicago Bears fans. This will not be based on a 2QB or Super-Flex leagues, however, I'll make a note about that when discussing Caleb Williams. I will also note how many rounds up or down you can consider if in smaller or larger leagues too. This isn't an exact science as every fantasy football draft is different, but it should give you a good idea of when each player should be targeted if you want him at a good value.
To get us started, let's look at the wide receivers.
Are you looking to draft one of the wide receivers from the Chicago Bears roster this fantasy football season? If so, then these rounds are the ones to target. This analysis is based on 1/2-point PPR scoring.
The top option on the Chicago Bears when it comes to fantasy football is DJ Moore. He is a consistent WR who has been one of the best WR2 options on most fantasy teams. If you target running backs early, then Moore could be a solid WR1 on your team too.
If drafting Moore, you'll need to look to grab him at the end of the second or at the beginning of the third rounds. This means you will need to be picking within the first four to five picks assuming you are using a snake draft. If you aren't drafting in that range, you'll need to reach for him earlier in the second round. If Moore produces like he did last season then he will prove to be worth it.
In 1/2-point PPR he finished 28th overall. If you remove the QBs though (taken in later rounds if not a 2QB or Super-Flex league), then he was 12th. However, if he produces as he did in 2022, then it will be a major reach since he finished in the 70s. The one problem here is that he will now be competing with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze for targets. That should not scare anyone off too much though since Moore is the best of the bunch and I expect the Chicago Bears to throw the ball a significant amount more than they did with Luke Getsy and Justin Fields at the helm.
Keenan Allen has been one of the best fantasy WRs for years. Last season he finished as the 35th-best player in fantasy football in 1/2-point PPR scoring. Again, when removing the QBs ahead of him, Allen finished 18th amongst other positions. However, he is now 32 and consistently misses multiple games each season.
If you missed out on DJ Moore, then you could look to add Keenan Allen instead. If he stays healthy enough, he should be the second-best fantasy option for the Chicago Bears this season. You should start targeting Allen in the fifth round. He could fall to the sixth, but if you are in a league with other Bears fans, then the fourth round is when you might need to grab him. Personally, I'd let someone else grab him in the fourth round if they wanted to reach for him too.
Finally, the only other wide receiver worth considering from the Chicago Bears is Rome Odunze. As a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Odunze is a premier prospect. Expectations are high even though he's the third receiver on the roster. If you want to add a Chicago Bears player to your fantasy football team but miss out on Moore or Allen, then maybe you look to grab Odunze instead.
If we are to look at how well a third receiver can do in a Shane Waldron offense, then we can look at Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Odunze currently has an ADP two rounds after Allen (Round 8). Last year, in his rookie season, Smith-Njigba finished as the 48th-best receiver. I wouldn't consider him any earlier either, but he's worth an add as a stash on your bench in case Moore or Allen get hurt. If either miss a game(s), Odunze instantly jumps to WR2 status.
If we are looking at other positions to target from the Chicago Bears roster, then three other names come to mind.
When I think of Caleb Williams from a fantasy football perspective, I instantly think sleeper. I have a lot of faith in this offense this year. Under Shane Waldron's scheme, I think the Chicago Bears could push themselves into a top-10 offense. That said, I never draft quarterbacks early unless the lineup contains two starting quarterback spots or a super-flex spot.
Right now, Caleb Williams has a consensus ADP of just under 100 and is QB13. This means you'd have to start targeting him between Rounds 7 and 9. If you are in a league full of Bears fans, I would not count on him being the 13th quarterback off the board. A list of the quarterbacks ahead of him in the consensus ADP rankings includes elite quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. However, it also includes Anthony Richardson (because of his running ability) and even fellow rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Personally, I think Williams finishes ahead of both of them.
If you see a run on QBs start in the fourth round or earlier, then definitely consider Williams at some point after the first five or six come off the board. If I am being honest, I'd consider him as a QB2 option or backup quarterback before taking him too soon.
I absolutely love the value of D'Andre Swift based on his current consensus rankings and ADP. Last season, Swift finished as the RB20 in fantasy football and his ranking is essentially the same this year heading into fantasy season. The thing is, what kept his scoring down last year was Jalen Hurts hogging touchdowns due to the tush-push. That isn't likely to happen with the Chicago Bears this year.
I just finished a draft with Swift as my RB4 and I'm very confident that he could be starting in my weekly lineup as a flex. If you target WRs early or go with a zero-RB strategy, Swift could be a guy you target later. His current consensus ADP has him going in the fifth round. You can consider him as early as the fourth but he might even fall to the sixth or seventh rounds. Be mindful of targeting him in leagues with fellow Chicago Bears fans. You may also consider Khalil Herbert as a late-round stash or handcuff if you like adding handcuffs to your roster (personally, I don't).
I am down on Cole Kmet this season despite being one of his biggest fans. I have been talking Kmet up before he entered the NFL when he was playing tight end for Notre Dame. He's been a late-round target for me the last two years and it has paid off. He's been a top-10 tight end in fantasy each year. Unfortunately, the Bears added Gerald Everett to the mix and Everett is a legit threat to take targets away from Kmet.
Kmet's consensus ADP has him going in the 10th or 11th rounds. His consensus rankings have him going in the 12th or 13th rounds. Don't reach for Kmet. The 10th round is the soonest you should consider him unless you are that bullish on having him on your fantasy football roster. He isn't going to finish as a TE1 this season and you should only grab him as a backup option.
Finally, the easiest way to make sure you land Chicago Bears players on your fantasy football roster is by targeting the kicker position or D/ST.
Out of the two, what I call specialty positions, the Chicago Bears D/ST (defense and special teams) would be the position to target second. Normally, kickers aren't that big of a deal. However, finding a kicker with strong accuracy is important if you lose points for missed kicks or extra points. Even though I find kickers replaceable, Cairo Santos is a very accurate kicker and worthy of being one of the first kickers taken. That's not the case with the Bears' defense, though, based on current ADP and rankings.
Heading into the NFL season, the Chicago Bears' defense and special teams are ranked 12th. This makes them worthy of being drafted vs being a D/ST taken off the waiver wire later. However, it also means that you can wait until the final two rounds to take them. That is unless you are in a league filled with Bears fans. If that's the case you might have to reach for them as soon as a D/ST run starts. Once you see the 49ers or Ravens taken, then brace yourself for having to take the Chicago Bears defense one or two rounds later.
Last season the Bears D/ST finished 19th in fantasy points. I don't think that represents how good this defense actually is though. With Montez Sweat on the team all year, Gervon Dexter looking like he's taking a step forward, and the addition of pass-rushing specialist Austin Booker, the Bears defense should finish as a top-10 defense in 2024.
I mentioned already that Cairo Santos is a very accurate kicker. He eclipsed 90% accuracy in his last two years with Chicago. He also has increased his leg strength. Last year Santos made seven of eight field goals from 50 or more yards. The year prior he made four of five attempts from that range. Santos finished as the third-best kicker in most fantasy football scoring formats. If you want to make sure you get him, you will need to consider him around the same time as you would the Bears' defense. Don't worry if you miss out on him, though; as I said, kickers tend to be very replaceable in fantasy football.
