X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Chicago Bears Fantasy Football Team Preview - QB, RB, WR, TE Outlooks

DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Welcome to my 2024 fantasy football preview for the Chicago Bears as part of my team-by-team fantasy football outlooks series. This new 32-part series will dissect each NFL team through a fantasy football lens. We'll look at each of the four primary positions -- quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end -- and identify each player's value at their current ADP. Throughout this series, we'll also recognize players fantasy managers should avoid and target at their current ADP.

The Chicago Bears' 2024 season is a big one. They retained head coach Matt Eberflus but let go of former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Chicago hired Shane Waldron, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, for the past three seasons. While fantasy managers are quick to give Dave Canales, the quarterback coach in Seattle, credit for Geno Smith's late-career resurgent, Waldron deserves an equal amount of praise. Courtesy of the Carolina Panthers, Chicago had the No. 1 overall pick, which they used on elite prospect Caleb Williams. The bar has officially been raised in Chicago, and fans hope they've finally solved their franchise-long quarterback issue. The offense, on paper, looks like one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and if Williams is as good as many think he is, the Bears could compete for a playoff spot.

There are so many places fantasy managers can find ADP rankings, all of which differ to some extent. Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football ADP page for the latest industry consensus ADPs. If you want to invest in your fantasy football leagues, consider subscribing to our premium account. Our premium tools can help you dominate your fantasy leagues. If you'd like to purchase our premium tools at RotoBaller, use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for a 10% discount.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Fantasy Football Team Previews

NFC West AFC West NFC South AFC South NFC East AFC East NFC North AFC North
Rams Broncos Saints Colts Cowboys Jets Lions Browns
Seahawks Chargers Buccaneers Titans Giants Patriots Bears Ravens
49ers Raiders Panthers Jaguars Commanders Bills Vikings Bengals
Cardinals Chiefs Falcons Texans Eagles Dolphins Packers Steelers

 

Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlook

Caleb Williams: QB14, ADP 99

Williams is set up for immediate success more than any other former No. 1 overall quarterback in the NFL's history. You could argue that no rookie quarterback has ever walked into a more appealing situation than the one he’s facing with the Bears.

Going into the 2024 season, PFF has the Bears ranked with the 11th-best offensive line in football. Last season, the group struggled with health, and a quarterback who held onto the ball took far too many sacks. Chicago has two young, quality tackles, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Teven Jenkins has been a bright spot since switching to guard in 2022 and has been one of the better players at that position. Ryan Bates rounds out the group at center, and Nate Davis at the other guard spot. It’s a good collection of talent, youth, and experience.

At receiver, Williams is spoiled. Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, and Rome Odunze make up one of the best trios, if not the best, in the NFL. Allen was first in targets per game, while Moore was 18th. In terms of receptions per game, Allen ranked first, and Moore was 15th. Allen was fourth in yards, and Moore was 11th. Granted, Allen was a Charger last year, but this still amounts to an abundance of riches. Allen finished 11th in yards per route run, and Moore was 16th.

We haven’t even mentioned Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in last year’s draft. From 2022-2023, Odunze racked up 167 receptions, 2,785 yards, and 20 touchdowns. From 2014-2023, there had been 11 receivers selected in the top 10, slightly more than one per season. That’s not to say all of them hit, but to be drafted there, you must be viewed as an elite prospect. Odunze passed the test. You can legitimately say Chicago has three No. 1 receivers on their team. Had Allen stayed in Los Angeles, he’d be Justin Herbert’s No. 1. Had Odzune been drafted to the Giants instead of Malik Nabers, he’d be Daniel Jones’ No. 1 receiver.

It's not that Williams will or should need more to be successful, but there’s more. His tight end, Cole Kmet, finished 10th in targets (90), seventh in receptions (73), and ninth in yards (719). Allen only played 13 games, but these three players combined for 376 targets, 277 receptions, and 3,326 yards! Now, add Rome Odunze to the mix!

In addition, Chicago signed D’Andre Swift in free agency. He finished fifth in the NFL in rushing yards last season with 1,049. Since he came into the league in 2020, he’s been viewed as one of the NFL's most explosive and best pass-catching backs. Williams has an above-average offensive line, five excellent pass-catchers, and what should be a quality running game.

That would be enough for most first-round prospects to be successful, but Williams isn’t any first-round prospect. He’s been called the best prospect since Trevor Lawrence, who was the best prospect since Andrew Luck. Over the past two seasons at two different schools, Williams threw for 8,170 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Some people have discussed how Williams didn’t appear against the best teams. Williams and the Trojans have lost eight games in the last two seasons. Their opponents scored 344 or 43 points per game in those eight games. In those eight losses, Williams completed 67.5% of his passes for 2,648 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added two rushing scores. In their eight losses, Williams averaged 331 yards and 2.6 total touchdowns. I think it’s fair to say he did his part.

He’s already shown himself to be a prolific passer at the collegiate level, but he’s also been a capable runner. He’s not like Jayden Daniels or Lamar Jackson, but he could be compared to someone like Trevor Lawrence regarding their rushing potential. He could easily give fantasy managers 300-450 rushing yards and a 3-5 rushing scores each year. In the past two years at USC, he finished with 21 rushing scores. If he has 375 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, that’s an extra 3.6 PPG from rushing alone.

Let’s talk about Shane Waldron, Chicago’s new offensive coordinator. He spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, and for the most part, fantasy managers should be optimistic. Below, you'll find a very surface look at what Seattle's offense, specifically their passing offense, has looked like over the past three years.

Year Points Yards Plays Pass Attempts Pass Yards Pass TDs Pass YPA
2021 16th 20th 32nd 31st 23rd 10th 8th
2022 9th 12th 22nd 15th 12th 6th 8th
2023 17th 21st 32nd 17th 14th 20th 11th

The table above certainly has some good and some bad. Right off the bat, you can see just how few plays Seattle's offense has run the past three seasons. That has correlated with Seattle's ranking average or below-average in pass attempts. However, despite the lack of volume, they've performed well in passing yards and touchdowns. As previously indicated, however, this is just a very surface-level viewpoint. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Year Second Per Play Neutral Pass Rate Red Zone Pass Rate Up 8 Pass Rate Down 8 Pass Rate
2021 7th 17th 19th 15th 13th
2022 14th 9th 11th 20th 11th
2023 5th 4th 9th 26th 11th

Since 2021, Seattle has operated one of the most up-tempo offenses in the NFL. They've twice been in the top 10 in the fewest seconds taken to snap the ball. While teams routinely hang around 30 seconds, Seattle has operated in the 25-26-second range. That up-tempo offense is good for fantasy football. Waldron's neutral pass rate has increased in the past two seasons. It should also be noted that in 2021, their quarterback was Russell Wilson, who suffered a mid-season injury, which likely impacted the team's standard operating procedure. However, in the past two years, in neutral situations, Waldron's offenses have passed the ball frequently, finishing in the top 10 in both seasons.

Based on where Seattle has ranked in passing touchdowns compared to their overall pass attempts, it's no surprise that Waldron is favored in the passing game inside the red zone. In 2022 and 2023, Seattle ranked 11th and ninth in neutral pass rate inside the red zone. These are all excellent figures. One of the reasons Seattle's offense hasn't run more plays is because their defense was unable to get off the field. In 2023, Seattle had the lowest time of possession per game in the NFL. It ranked 31st in 2022 and 32nd in 2021. Part of that is on the offense for being so up-tempo, and part is on the defense. However, Seattle has also ranked 16th, 10th, and 12th in points per drive from 2021-2023, so their opportunities have been efficient. In 2022, Seattle's defense finished 25th in points and 26th in yards allowed. In 2023, those figures were 25th and 30th, respectively.

Still, we see a lot of good signs for a fantasy football offense. They're up-tempo. They pass the ball above average in neutral situations and inside the red zone. Given Waldron's desire to lean on the passing game with Geno Smith in Seattle, imagine what he does with Caleb Williams and the trio of receivers he has. Not to mention Kmet at tight end and Swift at running back.

Last year, Seattle also used pre-snap motion and play-action at league-average rates. That's a good thing! These plays can make life easier for a quarterback. Play action can help a quarterback create plays downfield, while pre-snap motion helps create easy throwing windows. Williams' current price is a fair one, but one that has plenty of potential. While Tua Tagovailoa is going ahead of Williams, something I'm not crazy about, Trevor Lawrence is also going behind Williams, another close one that could go the other way. Overall, Williams at QB14 feels just right, but if he's as good as we think he is, watch out. Because with the weapons he has at his disposal, he could explode, even as a rookie.

Verdict: Fair Price on Caleb Williams (good value and potential)

 

Fantasy Football Running Back Outlook

D'Andre Swift: RB 22, ADP 67
Khalil Herbert: RB56, ADP 179
Roschon Johnson: RB62, ADP 209

Many people might be surprised to know this, but Swift recorded his worst half-PPR PPG average of his career last year in Philadelphia despite rushing for 1,000 yards for the first time. That’s kind of crazy to think about because, on the surface level, it doesn’t make much sense. Especially considering how much better the 2023 Eagles were compared to any of the Lions’ teams Swift was a part of. Oh, and the offensive line! Don’t even get me started on the differences between Detroit’s offensive lines from 2020-2022 to Philadelphia’s last year.

The difference came in touchdowns and targets. Swift’s reception per game average from each season from 2020-2022 was higher than his target per game average from last season. Think about that. He averaged more catches per game in each season with Detroit than he averaged targets per game last season with Philadelphia. Consider that in his rookie season, Swift scored 5.4 half-PPR points via receiving statistics only. In 2021, it was at 6.8 half-PPR PPG. In his final season with Detroit, in 2022, he averaged 5.8 half-PPR PPG via receiving stats. However, last year in Philadelphia, his receiving half-PPR PPG average dropped to 2.9.

He also scored a lot less! He scored 10 touchdowns as a rookie playing in just 13 games. In 13 games in his second season, Swift found the end zone seven times. He scored eight times in his final season with Detroit playing in 14 games. In 16 games with Philadelphia last year, he scored just six times. While we can acknowledge Philadelphia's offense and offensive line was better than Detroit's during Swift's time there and will be better than Chicago's in 2024, it's fairly clear that Swift's fantasy value is better when he's not in Philadelphia.

Year Target Share Targets Receptions Yards YPRR YPR YPT YAC/Rec Rec/Broken Tackle
2020 12.8% (10th) 57 (13th) 46 (13th) 357 (11th) 1.69 (6th) 7.8 (11th) 6.3 (10th) 7.6 (15th) 23.0 (33rd)
2021 18.4% (2nd) 78 (4th) 62 (4th) 452 (5th) 1.52 (16th) 7.3 (23rd) 5.8 (23rd) 8.1 (15th) 7.8 (16th)
2022 15.1% (6th) 70 (10th) 48 (12th) 389 (11th) 1.78 (5th) 8.1 (11th) 5.6 (20th) 9.2 (5th) 16.0 (29th)
2023 10.0% (25th) 49 (22nd) 39 (21st) 214 (28th) 1.13 (25th) 5.5 (42nd) 4.4 (39th) 6.9 (35th) 19.5 (40th)

Assuming we see Swift's target share and receiving efficiency bounce back to where it had been from 2020-2022, Swift should receive a nice boost in his fantasy value. However, it should be noted that in 2021, Shane Waldron's first year in Seattle, the Seahawks running backs finished dead last in target totals with just 67. The next closest group of running backs belonged to the Rams at 76. In 2022, the Seattle running backs combined for 84 targets. This ranked 26th in the NFL. This past season, Seattle's running backs finished with 86 targets, 26th. That's slightly concerning and something to be cognizant of, although he certainly didn't have anyone of Swift's caliber in catching the ball out of the backfield.

However, he chose to funnel the team's targets to his trio of receivers, D.K. MetcalfTyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which is very similar to what Chicago has this year. In reality, we should expect Swift to have more involvement in the passing game this year than in Philadelphia, but it's unlikely to rebound to his Detroit playing days. Chicago has just far too many other options in the passing game. The one bright spot is that Williams is not nearly the runner that Hurts is and will be, in theory, more willing to check down to his running back.

One of the things that makes Swift appealing is his penchant for big plays. In 2023, his breakaway run rate (percentage of carries gaining 15 or more yards) was 4.8%, ranked 17th among running backs. In 2022, it was 8.1%, ranking fifth. In his first two seasons in the league, his breakaway run rate was 5.3% (2020, 13th) and 5.3% (2021, 14th). Given the strength of their offensive line and the pass-catchers Chicago will put onto the field, Swift may run into many light boxes this year. It all sets up for a nice bounce-back season for Swift.

Waldron has a history of putting forth a strong running game. In 2021, Seattle ranked 11th in yards, ninth in touchdowns, and third in yards per attempt. However, they struggled the past two seasons, although much of that can be attributed to their poor offensive line. In 2022, Seattle ranked 18th in yards, 22nd in touchdowns, and seventh in yards per attempt. They finished 28th, 20th, and 16th this past season in these categories.

As a rookie, Swift finished as the RB18 with a 12.8 half-PPR PPG average. He followed that up by finishing as the RB13 in 2021 (13.8 half-PPR PPG) and the RB21 in 2022 (11.9 half-PPR PPG). Swift struggled with injuries in all three seasons with Detroit, and there were multiple games where he was limited or knocked out of games early, negatively affecting his PPG. He finished as the RB25 this past year with an 11.2 half-PPR PPG average.

Last year with Seattle, Waldron leaned on Kenneth Walker IIIin a big way, which should assure fantasy managers that Swift will be the guy in Chicago. Khalil Herbert has looked great in spurts, but the truth is that Herbert was drafted in 2021 when Ryan Pace was still the general manager, and Matt Nagy was still the head coach. In 2022, the organization hired Ryan Poles as general manager, who hired Matt Eberflus as head coach. That hire, they took Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the NFL draft, and this offseason, they gave Swift the second-biggest running back contract of the summer. Regardless of how you or I feel about Herbert, it appears Chicago's brass has decided on him to some degree.

Player YPC Breakaway Run % MTF/Attempt YAC/Attempt YBC/Attempt Target Share TPRR YPRR YAC/Reception
Swift 4.58 4.8% 0.17 2.38 2.21 10.0% 21% 1.13 6.92
Herbert 4.63 5.3% 0.26 2.33 2.30 9.5% 22% 0.99 6.80
Johnson 4.35 2.5% 0.14 2.43 1.91 9.5% 24% 1.09 7.56

From the numbers above, it's not like Swift was significantly more efficient than Johnson or Herbert. He did have a much better environment for efficiency, but he also dealt with a much larger volume, which made things more difficult. It's somewhat unknown how this backfield will shake out. What seems to make the most sense is that Swift will be the primary rusher and pass-catcher. Herbert will be Swift's primary backup for the early-down work and short yardage. Johnson will be Swift's primary backup for the third-down role and pass-catching situations. If Swift were to miss time, fantasy managers would likely see a committee approach.

Fantasy managers should expect Swift to handle 55-60% of the snaps and touches in Chicago's backfield. Given his talent profile, pass-catching ability, and the overall strength of the Bears' offense, Swift certainly has the ability and environment to match his current positional ADP. Over the past two seasons, these are likely the best indicators of what a Waldron offense will look like in Chicago. In 2022, the Seattle running backs have combined for 350 carries, 84 targets, and 68 receptions. This past season, they combined 337 carries, 86 targets, and 68 receptions. Assuming the target volume increases to 100 with Swift's talent in that department, we're roughly looking at 340 carries, 100 targets, and 80 receptions. If Swift were to command 55%, he'd finish with 187 carries, 55 targets, and 44 receptions. A 60% workload would be 204 carries, 60 targets, and 48 receptions. That's roughly the kind of volume fantasy managers should be expecting.

Given his 5.3 yards per touch career average, this would project him for 1,224 and 1,336 scrimmage yards. Now, away from Jalen Hurts and the tush-push, Swift will have some serious red zone potential with the Bears. Last year, Swift finished with 229 carries. There were 23 running backs with at least 200 carries. Swift ranked 18th among this sample in the percentage of carries they were given of their team's carries inside the 5-yard line. He ranked 19th in percentage of carries handled inside the 10-yard line. With Hurts not lurking around the corner, his overall touchdowns should go back up.

Swift's price is fair, but so are Herbert's and Johnson's. There is the possibility that this turns into an ugly three-headed monster, with all three of them wrecking the returns of fantasy managers. That is something to be cautious about. However, concerning Swift, it's hard to be too concerned, given his historical fantasy production and the environment he is now walking into. All three players have fair prices, but Swift seems to have some real potential at his current cost.

Verdict: Fair Price on D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson

 

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

D.J. Moore: WR21, ADP 39
Keenan Allen: WR30, ADP 68
Rome Odunze: WR42, ADP 95

As we've already discussed, many changes are going on in Chicago. There is a new offensive coordinator, quarterback, and two new highly-regarded receivers. Allen is fresh from one of the best seasons of his career, and Odunze was a top-10 pick in this year's NFL Draft. To say that Moore has competition is an understatement. However, Moore is also coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, which makes evaluating the target hierarchy in Chicago a bit difficult. To simplify this, here is what I expect this year. Odunze will be the starting X receiver. Moore will be the flanker or the Y receiver. Allen will be the slot receiver. In two receiver sets, I would expect Odunze to go to the bench, Moore to play the X, and Allen to be the Y. It shouldn't be a surprise if Allen leads the team in targets and catches while Moore leads the team in yards.

Player Target Share TPRR 1st Read % TPG RPG RePG YPRR YPT YPR YAC/Rec aDot AYPG Air Yard Share
Moore 26.9% 25% 40.0% 8.1 5.9 91.8 2.79 11.36 15.52 6.38 12.2 98.8 41.9%
Allen 31.1% 31% 40.8% 11.4 8.5 97.9 2.67 8.58 11.52 4.07 9.5 108.5 38.0%

The table above is based on Moore's 12 games where Justin Fields started and finished the game at quarterback and the 12 games where Justin Herbert started and finished the game at quarterback. As you can see from the table, Allen had the advantage on Moore regarding target share, target rate, targets per game, receptions per game, and just barely squeaked out a win in yards per game. Moore was more efficient with his routes and touches, besting Allen in yards per route run, yards per target, and yards per reception. This shouldn't be surprising when you consider their average depth of target. Moore was used more downfield, but he was also much better after the catch. Allen will be the guy that moves the sticks, but Moore is likely the big-play threat. Odunze is the wild card.

Given his draft pedigree and prospect profile, no one should be surprised to see him excel right out of the gate. He's that good. He had 250 targets, 167 receptions, 2,784 yards, and 20 touchdowns in the past two years at Washington. 123 receivers had 70 targets last year for college football. Here's where Odunze ranked among them in a few compelling categories:

  • Third in targets (140)
  • Seventh in receptions (92)
  • First in yards (1,639)
  • 14th in yards per reception (17.9)
  • Sixth in touchdowns (13)
  • Eighth in PFF Receiving Grade (89.5)
  • 17th in yards per route run (2.93)
  • First in first-down receptions (78)

It isn't just the stat sheet where Odunze shines, he also makes a strong case for him on film too. Reception Perception did a film study on his route-running and the reviews are glowing. Here's a sample from Odunze's Reception Perception profile written by Matt Harmon,

"Odunze operated as a pure perimeter receiver for Washington last season and primarily lined up as the X. He took 84% of his sampled snaps outside and 67.4% on the line of scrimmage. He ran out like a classic No. 1 wideout at the collegiate level. All of Rome Odunze’s success rate vs. coverage scores are impressive but his 80% success rate vs. press is the most impressive mark. He saw a good amount of press in a legitimate Power 5 conference. That’s as bonafide a result as you’re going to find. With a 76.2% success rate vs. man coverage, Odunze is in striking distance of Chris Olave and DeVonta Smith in this metric. His 83.5% success rate vs. zone coverage puts him right in the middle of those two. This is the type of separator we’re talking about. Odunze is a great route runner who shows a mastery level of deception with plenty of quickness and a litany of tricks in the toolbag to work himself open. As you can see from his route success rate chart, there is no area of the field where Odunze is not dominant. He posted an above-average success rate on every route on the tree. He gets open underneath with precision and as a former star high-school sprinter, has all the speed to demolish teams on vertical routes. I don’t use the word “elite” lightly in prospect profiles but everything about Odunze’s film and Reception Perception profile screams elite route runner. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ja'Marr Chase and Rome Odunze are the top three prospects I have charted for Reception Perception between the 2021 and 2024 classes. By the time I’m ready to settle the rankings, he very well may end up the top prospect on the board. "

So, that's the kind of prospect and player the Bears drafted at No. 9 overall. By any measurement, Odunze is not just some rookie; he's a star in the making. As good as Allen and Moore are, and make no mistake, they are very good. Odzune's talent could allow him to be far more involved than most rookies, given the target competition he's facing in year one. That's something to keep in mind with Moore and Allen.

Allen will be entering his age-32 season, which is why fantasy managers prefer Moore. However, Allen has been ridiculously good for a long time. From 2017-2023, Allen has averaged 141 targets, 98 receptions, 1,130 yards, and six touchdowns per season. His per-game averages during this seven-year stint over 17 games equate to a seasonal projection of 166 targets, 115 receptions, 1,332 yards, and seven touchdowns. As you can imagine, it's all translated directly to elite fantasy production,

  • 2017: WR4 (13.6 half-PPR PPG)
  • 2018: WR18 (13.5 PPG)
  • 2019: WR15 (12.7 PPG)
  • 2020: WR11 (13.9 PPG)
  • 2021: WR11 (13.1 PPG)
  • 2022: WR19 (11.6 PPG)
  • 2023: WR3 (17.3 PPG)

Moore is no slouch, either. While his production is not nearly as impressive as Allen's, he also hasn't Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert throwing him the ball. In 2019, he caught passes from Kyle Allen, Will Grier, and 30-year-old Cam Newton and finished with 1,175 yards. The next season, it was Teddy Bridgewater and P.J. Walker. Moore still had 1,193 yards. In 2021, Sam Darnold, 32-year-old Cam Newton, and P.J. Walker all got starts in Carolina. Moore had 1,157 yards. In 2023, he had to catch passes from Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent, but that didn't stop him from finishing with 1,364 yards.

Combining every receiver's first six years of their career from 1990-2023, Moore ranks 23rd in targets, 22nd in yards, and 15th in yards. The fantasy production hasn't always followed because, until 2022, his fifth season in the league, Moore hadn't scored more than four touchdowns in a season. The quarterback play didn't do him any favors. Moore is a certified stud and always has been, but he's never been paired with a quarterback who lifted him as much as he lifted them. It's been a pretty one-sided relationship, to say the least. That was true even last year with Justin Fields.

Given Moore's new extension, age, and breakout season in Chicago, he should be expected to be the most productive receiver for the Bears this season in terms of yards and touchdowns. He's more explosive than Allen in almost every way at their respective career stages. If Williams is as good as draft analysts and experts believe him to be, this offense will be very good. Moore's fantasy price is fair. While he finished far higher than his current ranking last year, he also has a lot more target competition. It should be noted that if Allen were to miss time like he did last year, or maybe Odunze isn't quite as ready as we all expect him to be, Moore could out-perform his ranking.

Each receiver has a lot of contingency value if they miss time. Allen's price is also fair, given his age, injury last year, changing teams, target competition, and utilization. Due to his low depth of target, Allen needs volume. He can still rack up catches, but his upside could be limited if Moore and Odunze are the primary downfield threats, which they're likely to be.

Odunze's price is also fair. If Moore or Allen were to miss time, Odunze would become a weekly top-25 receiver immediately, and given his talent, the upside could be even higher, which is what makes him appealing. If all three of them are healthy, he's likely to be held back due to playing time (likely won't be on the field in two receiver sets, at least not early) and the elite target competition around him. He'll likely be a boom-or-bust player with Moore and Allen on the field. However, ignoring a top-10 pick at the round 8/9 turn is hard.

Verdict: Fair Price on DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze

 

Fantasy Football Tight End Outlook

Cole Kmet: TE15, ADP 126
Gerald Everett

Kmet and Dalton Schultz are two of the easiest tight end sells this offseason. What kind of target volume will Kmet get with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, two receivers who finished first and 21st in targets per game? If it was only Moore and Allen, you could still argue Kmet would be a sell, but then they went and added Odunze at No. 9 overall, who is regarded as an elite prospect and one of the better receiver prospects over the past few seasons. To make matters worse, Chicago signed Gerald Everett, who quietly followed Waldron around most of his career. When Everett was drafted, Waldron was the tight end coach in 2017 with the Rams. When Waldron became the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks in 2021, guess who Seattle signed in free agency? Everett.

2023
Player Snap Share Routes Route %
Noah Fant 54.6% 324 56.3%
Colby Parkinson 47.3% 231 40.2%
Will Dissly 36.1% 168 31.2%
2022
Player Snap Share Routes Route %
Noah Fant 60.4% 330 57.6%
Will Dissly 52.0% 231 45.0%
Colby Parkinson 40.5% 196 34.2%
2021
Player Snap Share Routes Route %
Gerald Everett 65.6% 321 73.1%
Will Dissly 51.6% 173 39.1%
Colby Parkinson 18.9% 49 12.0%

The table above shows how Waldron has divvied up the playing time and routes in Seattle over the past three years. It's ugly, folks. Really ugly. Given his clear positive feelings toward Everett as a player, fantasy managers can feel pretty confident he will play far more snaps than Kmet fantasy managers would like to see. Kmet is still guaranteed to be the TE1 for Chicago. There's no question about that. However, if Everett eats into his route share, even just a bit, especially with the increased target competition, it will spell bad news for Kmet and his fantasy value.

Kmet finished with 90 targets (ninth-most), 73 receptions (eighth-most), 719 yards (ninth-most), and six touchdowns (tied for second-most). However, it’s important to put some of those numbers in context. The Bears finished the 2023 season 27th in passing attempts, 27th in passing yards, and 23rd in passing touchdowns. They were 24th in completion percentage, eighth-highest interception rate, 24th in yards per pass attempt, and 25th in quarterback rating.

Their offense finished 18th in total points and 20th in total yards. They were a below-average offense and a bad passing offense. That context is important when looking at Kmet’s season. Despite this, here’s where Kmet ranked in some key metrics among tight ends with 40 or more targets:

  • Third-Lowest Drop Rate (1.1%)
  • Eighth-Highest Yard Per Target Average (8.0)
  • 11th-Highest Target Share (19.3%)
  • 12th-Highest Target Per Route Run Rate (21.6%)
  • Eighth-Highest Yard Per Route Run Average (1.70)
  • 10th-Highest Yards Per Team Pass Attempt Average (1.40)
  • First in Contested Catch Rate (77.8%)

Kmet finished the 2023 season as the TE8 with an 8.7 half-PPR PPG average. He provided fantasy managers with 10 top-12 weekly performances, including three top-five finishes. He scored over 20 half-PPR points on two occasions. He scored 1.9 half-PPR points in Week 6, the week Fields was injured and left in the first half. He put up a goose egg with Bagent under center the following week. While he did well in Bagent's other three starts, these two weeks greatly hindered his PPG average.

Kmet is a talented tight end, and there's the possibility he will fend off Everett completely and retain his role from last season. However, even if that remains true, it's hard to see Kmet being a fantasy asset, given the team's upgrades at receiver. Pat Freiermuth is next to Kmet at TE16 with an ADP of 128. Fantasy managers are much better off drafting him, who will likely be Pittsburgh's No. 2 target-earner. Otherwise, drafting Luke Musgrave three rounds later seems like a better bet. Musgrave is in a similar target pinch as Kmet, but at least he's cheaper. For these reasons, Kmet is a sell.

Everett is completely irrelevant here. He's only mentioned because of his past relationship with Waldron and what that could mean for Kmet. Even if Kmet were to get hurt, Everett wouldn't be anything more than a boom-or-bust, touchdown-dependent TE3. He's not someone who will have any value himself, but he could certainly negatively impact Kmet's.

Verdict: Sell Cole Kmet and Ignore Gerald Everett

 

As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aroldis Chapman18 mins ago

Named Primary Closer
Lucas Giolito26 mins ago

To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Matt Vierling33 mins ago

Progressing To Soft Toss
Jared Jones42 mins ago

Shut Down For Six Weeks
P.J. Washington47 mins ago

Won't Play Against Knicks
Cade Cunningham1 hour ago

Sidelined On Tuesday
Russell Wilson1 hour ago

Giants, Russell Wilson Reach Agreement On One-Year Deal
Mitchell Robinson1 hour ago

Out Of Action Versus Dallas
Trevor Moore1 hour ago

May Return Tuesday
Jason Dickinson1 hour ago

Done For The Season
Stephen Curry1 hour ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Samuel Girard2 hours ago

Ready To Return Against Red Wings
Mikael Backlund2 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Nicky Lopez2 hours ago

Signs With Angels
Christian Walker2 hours ago

Still Expected To Play On Thursday
Joel Farabee2 hours ago

Good To Go Against Kraken
Mookie Betts2 hours ago

Back In Lineup On Tuesday
MacKenzie Weegar2 hours ago

Officially Cleared To Play Tuesday
Duncan Robinson2 hours ago

Out Of Action Against Warriors
Joe Highsmith2 hours ago

Continues Post-Win Success And Is Looking For More In Houston
Shea Theodore2 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Golden Knights Lineup Tuesday
Cole Anthony2 hours ago

Sidelined On Tuesday
Tomas Hertl2 hours ago

Misses Road Trip
Adam Hadwin2 hours ago

Far From Good Form As He Heads To Texas
Tennessee Titans3 hours ago

Titans To Hold Another Private Workout With Cam Ward
Ronald Acuña Jr.3 hours ago

Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider Officially Placed On Injured List
Ryan Johnson3 hours ago

Makes Angels Opening Day Roster
David Villar3 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Cam Smith4 hours ago

Makes Astros Opening Day Roster
Jasson Domínguez4 hours ago

Jasson Dominguez, Ben Rice Make Opening Day Roster
Kevin Ginkel4 hours ago

Likely To Start On Injured List
Triston Casas4 hours ago

Out On Tuesday With Hand Injury
Vidal Bruján4 hours ago

Vidal Brujan Could Start On Injured List
Deandre Ayton4 hours ago

Still Out Tuesday
Ben Brown4 hours ago

To Open As Cubs Fifth Starter
Vinnie Pasquantino5 hours ago

Feeling Good, Plans To Play Thursday
Grayson Rodriguez5 hours ago

To Throw A Bullpen Later This Week
Robert Williams III5 hours ago

Out For Remainder Of Season
Corey Seager5 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Josh Jung5 hours ago

Scratched On Tuesday
Rowdy Tellez5 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Dallas Cowboys5 hours ago

Cowboys To Add Starting Running Back In 2025 NFL Draft?
Jerami Grant5 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable On Tuesday
5 hours ago

Jaxson Dart Likely To Be First-Round Pick
Dalano Banton6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers6 hours ago

Sua Opeta Back With Buccaneers On One-Year Deal
Marquise Brown6 hours ago

Chiefs Have High Hopes For Marquise Brown
Baltimore Ravens6 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Agrees To One-Year Deal With Ravens
Jaylon Tyson6 hours ago

Sidelined On Tuesday
6 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Continues To Be Linked To Giants
Las Vegas Raiders6 hours ago

Raiders Add Tight End Ian Thomas
NFL7 hours ago

Cam Ward Thinks He "Solidified" Himself As Top Overall Pick
Denver Broncos7 hours ago

Broncos Could Target Pass-Catching RB In The Draft
J.J. McCarthy7 hours ago

Vikings Haven't Told J.J. McCarthy He's the Starting QB
Nick Jensen7 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway7 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Pavel Buchnevich8 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Tuesday
Josh Norris8 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jakob Chychrun8 hours ago

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Andrei Svechnikov8 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Ben Griffin9 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Houston Open
Lauri Markkanen9 hours ago

Will Not Play Against Grizzlies
Nick Dunlap9 hours ago

Looking For Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Houston Open
Jake Knapp9 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Texas Children's Houston Open
Duncan Robinson10 hours ago

Uncertain To Play Tuesday
Tim Hardaway Jr.10 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
Cade Cunningham10 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Tuesday
Jalen Williams10 hours ago

Questionable Against Kings
Chet Holmgren10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Ja Morant10 hours ago

Remains On The Shelf Tuesday
Donovan Mitchell10 hours ago

Unavailable Against Portland
Stephen Curry10 hours ago

Questionable Tuesday
Max Greyserman11 hours ago

Trying To Shake Off Poor Weekend At Houston Open
Sam Stevens11 hours ago

Could Need Texas-Sized Resolve In Houston
Sam Ryder12 hours ago

In Good Form As Houston Open Approaches
Patrick Rodgers12 hours ago

Looking For Better Opening At Houston
Andrew Novak12 hours ago

Struggling To Find Consistency
Alex DeBrincat13 hours ago

Tallies Two Points On Monday
Jake Oettinger13 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Wild On Monday
Sean Monahan13 hours ago

Dishes Out Two Helpers In Return
Pius Suter13 hours ago

Tallies Two Points On Monday
Petr Mrazek13 hours ago

Exits On Monday
Declan Chisholm13 hours ago

Exits Early On Monday
Chicago Bears23 hours ago

Bears Sign Nick McCloud To One-Year Deal
New Orleans Saints23 hours ago

Saints Agree With Dillon Radunz On One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles23 hours ago

Kendall Lamm Signs One-Year Deal With Eagles
New Orleans Saints23 hours ago

Saints Re-Sign Safety Ugo Amadi
Kansas City Chiefs23 hours ago

Chiefs Bring Back Mike Pennel
Travis Vokolek24 hours ago

Signs Tender Offer From Cardinals
Eric Saubert24 hours ago

Seahawks Sign Eric Saubert
24 hours ago

Packers To Take Tetairoa McMillan In The First Round?
New England Patriots24 hours ago

Patriots Say They Will Take The "Best Player Available" In The Draft
Stephon Castle1 day ago

Questionable Versus The Pistons
Ondrej Palat1 day ago

Good To Go Monday
Keith Mitchell1 day ago

May Get Off To Good Start In Houston
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Trying To Stop Bad Stretch In Texas
Sean Brady1 day ago

Dominates At UFC London
MMA1 day ago

Leon Edward Dominated At UFC London
Carlos Ulberg1 day ago

Extends His Win Streak
Jan Blachowicz1 day ago

Outpointed At UFC London
Jason Day1 day ago

Returns To Action For Texas Children’s Houston Open
Kevin Yu1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 12th At Valspar Championship
J.J. Spaun1 day ago

Finishes Second At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Gunnar Nelson1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC London
Rickie Fowler1 day ago

Finishes 71st At The PLAYERS Championship
Tony Finau1 day ago

Misses The Cut At The PLAYERS Championship
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Returns To Action After Withdrawing From The PLAYERS Championship
Kevin Holland1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Molly McCann1 day ago

Retires After UFC London Submission Loss
Alexia Thainara1 day ago

Wins Her UFC Debut
Chris Duncan1 day ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC London
Jordan Vucenic1 day ago

Remains Winless In The UFC
Morgan Charrière1 day ago

Morgan Charriere Gets Outclassed At UFC London
Nathaniel Wood1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Earns New Career-Best Finish At Homestead
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Falls Short Of Winning At Homestead
William Byron1 day ago

Has An Underwhelming Day At Homestead
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Earns A New Career-Best Finish At Homestead
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Scores His Second Consecutive Top-10 Finish Of 2025 At Homestead
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Savvy Pit Strategy Helps Denny Hamlin Win Stage 2 At Homestead
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Moves Above Playoff Cut Line With Fourth-Place Finish
Joey Logano2 days ago

Misses Top 10 Again After Pit-Road Spin
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Underachieves But Still Finishes Eighth
Justin Haley2 days ago

Earns First Non-Drafting Oval Top-10 Finish For Spire Motorsports
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Earns First Non-Drafting Superspeedway Pole Since 2016
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Poor Las Vegas Run Suggests He Might Be Overvalued For Homestead
Joey Logano3 days ago

Recent Homestead Record Misleading Due To Past Playoff Situations
Josh Berry3 days ago

Probably Needs To Lead To Have DFS Value
Daniel Suarez3 days ago

Poor Qualifying Makes Him A Strong DFS Option
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Likely Too Inexperienced To Gain Many Positions At Homestead
Austin Cindric3 days ago

Increased Staying Power In Races May Make Him More Valuable
Ricky Stenhouse Jr3 days ago

. Unlikely To Gain Enough Positions For DFS Value
NASCAR3 days ago

John Hunter Nemechek Delivers His Second-Best Qualifying Run At Homestead
Cole Custer3 days ago

Has Been Hapless At Homestead In Cup Series
JJ Yeley3 days ago

J.J. Yeley Needs Attrition To Gain Positions At Homestead
Sean Brady4 days ago

Looks For His Eighth UFC Win
Leon Edwards4 days ago

Set For Main Event
Carlos Ulberg4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak At UFC London
Jan Blachowicz4 days ago

Set For Light-Heavyweight Clash
Gunnar Nelson4 days ago

Ends Long Layoff
Kevin Holland4 days ago

Set For Welterweight Bout
Alexia Thainara4 days ago

Set For Her UFC Debut
Molly McCann4 days ago

Aims To Get Back In The Win Column
Chris Duncan4 days ago

Looks For His Second Consecutive Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

It's finally here: the UFL season will kick off with one game on Friday, March 28, two games on Saturday, March 29, and two games on Sunday, March 30. Friday and Saturday matchups will be broadcast on Fox, and Sunday's two contests will be shown on ESPN. If you have never heard of the UFL, […]


Jaxson Dart - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Jaxson Dart NFL Draft Rookie Film Breakdown: Mississippi QB Scouting Report - Coach Knows Ball Series

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2025 class. I'm a college football coach with 10 years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Best Ball Strategy: Mid-Round Values

Besides the obvious top picks in any fantasy football draft, finding the contributors in the middle rounds who end up producing close to or above some of the top-round players is paramount to fantasy success. Being able to sort out any of these players before games have been played is, of course, very subjective. Now […]


Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire

Fantasy Football Dynasty Sleepers Heading Into 2025

Sleeper picks are one of the most fun parts of playing fantasy football. There’s nothing better than hearing one of your league mates exclaim “Who?” immediately after making your pick. Finding sleepers in dynasty leagues can be much more difficult compared to standard redraft leagues. Benches are deeper, waivers are thin, and that can make […]


Amari Cooper - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Best Fantasy Football Fits for the Remaining Free Agent Wide Receivers

Free Agency has been going on for over a week now. The best free agents have already been signed, making the pickings a little slim if teams are looking for any immediate impact players. That doesn't mean there aren't some quality players left available who could be fantasy-relevant in the right situation. In this article, […]


mock draft

Video: 2025 NFL Draft - Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller and we're working 24/7/365 to keep you informed! With the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst David Rispoli previews the 2025 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the top-10 picks of […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

HuThe NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Jayden Daniels - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings Analysis For 2025

A lot of quarterbacks will be playing for new teams next year. Sam Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks, Justin Fields agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Jets, and Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick. As a result, now […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers To Stash: Cheap Trade Targets

Stashing players that you can pick up for cheap (or at least at great value) is always a good idea in Dynasty fantasy football. You want to get players ahead of their breakout seasons so you can get the best possible value on them. Despite there being many clear leading indicators of a breakout, several […]


Jaxson Dart - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Mock Draft (Post Opening Round of Free Agency): Rounds 1 And 2

With free agency news slowing down, the initial wave has now passed and NFL management has turned its attention to the draft in hopes of improving their teams for the upcoming 2025 season. Some of the moves made in free agency help to give a clearer picture of where some clubs may be looking in […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - March 2025 Market Report

Dynasty never rests, and neither do we. This month, we are starting to see some correction in the rookie market, which is, in turn, starting to stabilize the market. Once the season ended, rookies were the talk of the town, and their values inflated. The Senior Bowl and the combine have come and gone, but […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - 2025 Free Agency

The majority of free-agent signings have already happened after just the first few days of free agency ahead of the 2025 NFL season, and with most of the dust settled, there have emerged plenty of clear winners and losers. While most teams won't have all their position groups fully addressed until after the 2025 NFL […]


Tetairoa McMillan - College Football DFS Lineup Picks, NCAA CFB, NFL Draft Prospect

Three-Round Post Free Agency 2025 NFL Mock Draft

NFL Free Agency has been up for more than a week, and very few impact players are left available. Because of that, any player a team signs from now until the NFL Draft is unlikely to alter their draft-day plans significantly. However, the early portion of free agency can substantially impact which players and which […]