RADIO
The RotoBaller football crew will be reviewing all 32 teams in our offseason Dynasty Team outlook series. Leading up to the draft, we will break down every franchise as they currently stand and will review them again after the conclusion of free agency and the NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears could be one of the biggest surprises in the NFL for 2018. I've seen a lot of people talk about how they'll be the 'Rams of 2017', and take a big step forward. The potential for this to happen is hard to ignore. They have new additions to the coaching staff, new offensive weapons, and a young quarterback looking to make a name for himself in Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears have done well so far in the off-season, but will need to hit on some good defensive rookies in the 2018 NFL Draft. Bears fans should be excited about the 2018 season. It's safe to say, things are looking up.
The Bears team not only was disappointing as an NFL team, but more importantly, from a fantasy perspective. The Bears will have an opportunity to produce some excellent fantasy football options, at just about every position. Trubisky will look to make a name for himself this year, newly acquired free agent WR Allen Robinson, TE Trey Burton, and the backfield duo of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. All of these guys will see a nice jump in value if the Bears pan out this year. If...
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Chicago Dynasty Outlook
Team Record: 5-11 (4th, NFC North)
Fantasy Leaders - PPR
QB: Mitchell Trubisky – 134.6 (QB28)
RB: Jordan Howard – 199.5 (RB14) & Tarik Cohen – 144.6 (RB30)
WR: Kendall Wright – 126.4 (WR52)
TE: Zach Miller – 55.6 (TE39)
IDP: Akiem Hicks – 152 (DL14)
Quarterback
Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky went into the season with some high hopes. After the strange addition of free agent Mike Glennon getting a large payday in Chicago, it was expected that Chicago would grab a rookie QB, but many weren’t expecting Trubisky to go this early and end up with the Bears. Trubisky still has a fairly cheap price and is someone that I love as a breakout candidate for 2018. Don’t get too crazy with buying Trubisky in your Superflex or 2QB leagues, as QBs come with a steep price in those formats. I love the breakout potential, but as anything else goes in fantasy football, there is risk involved.
With the new coaching staff and weapons in the Bears offense, there are definitely high hopes for the Bears in 2018. Newly acquired head coach Matt Nagy from Kansas City brings a factor into Chicago that could be a major reason for their success. His aggressive and offensive minded play-calling could offer some nice upside for this offense. As you can see with the Chiefs, the TE, WR, and RB positions all are involved nicely with Nagy. Allen Robinson and Trey Burton are two additions that I think should benefit a lot in their new situation. Robinson has an opportunity to show us that he can handle the number one WR duties for a new and what is looking to have a chance to be a high-powered offense. The RB duo of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen offers a nice change of pace to catch defenses off guard, while Robinson will need attention on the outside. Burton is looking like a nice security blanket for Trubisky, which should help his numbers.
Running Back
Jordan Howard has been a consistent RB for fantasy purposes over the past couple years. Although he gets a lot of hate for not being able to catch the ball, he runs very well and gets the goal-line work. He has a nice floor moving forward and I’d feel good with him as my RB2. Howard owners shouldn’t be too concerned about Cohen stealing the show, as Cohen is a RB of smaller stature, and isn’t an ideal 3-down back. If your league is down on Howard with the idea of Cohen, go out and buy Howard to get a safe RB for years to come in what hopes to be a nice looking offense.
Tarik Cohen offers fantasy owners a different kind of upside. The 3rd down and pass-catching backs are all the rage anymore in the NFL, and Cohen in this new offense should be able to take a nice step forward. I wouldn’t be too concerned abut Howard getting all of the work, while Cohen will get his share. Not only is Cohen a nice handcuff to own, but he offers his own individual value as well. In PPR leagues, he will be the most valuable. Not to mention, if something were to happen to Howard, Cohen would get even more of a bump in value and production. He is a nice guy to buy low in Dynasty, his value is around a mid-2nd round pick right now. If you own Howard, I like using a second-round pick to go grab Cohen. Low-ball with a third if you can, but don’t be afraid to swap your second-round rookie pick for him.
Wide Receiver
Kendall Wright was the leading receiver for the Bears in 2017, with a whopping 614 yards and just one touchdown. This receiving corps was basically non-existent. I even debated putting “N/A” above where the positional scoring breakdown was at the top of this article. Same with the tight end position. This dynasty community has been teased with the idea of Kevin White somehow breaking out, but I have no interest in him anymore. Allen Robinson is the guy to own, for obvious reasons. Recently acquired from the Atlanta Falcons, Taylor Gabriel offers a nice speedster, deep-threat option, which if Trubisky does take off like he could, could make Gabriel very interesting.
Aside from the signing of Jarvis Landry in Cleveland, Robinson to Chicago was one of the hottest fantasy football topics of free agency this offseason. Robinson was a touchdown machine in 2016 and had a great deal of air yards and targets to go with this WR1 season. Robinson has a huge opportunity here and legit WR1 fantasy upside. On the other hand, if Robinson does take off and become a big threat that defenses need to focus on, new addition Gabriel also offers some upside. Gabriel could turn into a deep threat opposite Robinson, and I always like to have the guy on the other side of the field from a receiver like Robinson.
Tight End
Similar to the WR position, the Bears tight ends were basically non-existent in 2017 as well. With the awful injury to Zach Miller mid-way through the year, this offense went from bad to worse. Trubisky had hardly any weapons to work with, and the TE position was no different. Adam Shaheen is a name that I was very high on this off-season, then the Trey Burton signing happened. Shaheen’s breakout has since been put on hold, and Burton is the guy to own in Chicago now. He has some nice upside and I look for him to be a nice security piece for Trubisky. A possession receiver who can work the middle of the field while Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel man the outsides of the field.
IDP
The Chicago Bears were not only an abysmal offensive team for fantasy purposes in 2017, but IDP as well. Outside of defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (DL14), the next best pieces were Danny Trevathan (LB32), Kyle Fuller (DB29), and Eddie Jackson (DB30). Hicks was a solid weekly start, but the others were very hit or miss. Trevathan has offered some interesting upside, but hasn’t been the same since he left Denver. Hicks will be 29 in November, meaning he isn’t an ideal guy to go grab in dynasty. He could produce decent production for a few more years, but he isn’t someone I’m going out and paying up for by any means.
This year’s NFL Draft could be huge for the IDP players in Chicago. As you’ll see below, I count on the Bears making a big-time push at the defensive side of the ball this year in this year’s NFL Draft. Regardless of who falls to the Bears in this draft, I expect the opportunity to be there for some nice IDP rookies in Chicago to target in your dynasty drafts.
Off-Season Outlook
2018 NFL Draft Picks: 8, 39, 105, 115, 145, 181, and 224.
Team Needs: LB, OL, DB
Offense
The biggest need for the Bears right now is on the offensive line. With the addition of weapons on the offensive side with Robinson, Burton, and Gabriel, I don’t expect the Bears needing to target a WR or TE. With their duo in the backfield and drafting Trubisky last year, I don’t see a QB or RB in their future either. With the 8th overall pick, the Bears can get some major help on offense of defense. If OL Quenton Nelson is available, then this pick is a no-brainer.
Another position I wouldn't be too surprised to see the Bears target late in the draft, and not mentioned above is the WR position. Although Robinson and Gabriel look to be the main fantasy options, if the Bears target a slot receiver late, this could be a nice spot for one. This year's WR class is filled with slot receiver talent, and I wouldn't mind seeing one land here.
Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears have several positional needs. The linebacker core is hurting, and Trevathan will be a free agent after 2019. He isn’t the long-term answer by any means and could do a nice job of grooming a young LB or two. The Bears defensive backs are also not anything to crazy about outside of former first round pick, Fuller and Jackson. Chicago was dead last in the league with total tackles, with 934. They were the middle of the road in most other defensive stats, and this draft could offer a nice opportunity for someone to step up for the Bears on the defensive side of the ball.
More 2018 Team Outlooks
