Should I Drop Chase Claypool? Fantasy Football Outlook

Normally a football player’s fantasy value goes up when he changes teams because he is headed to an organization that wants to use him to the best of his abilities – and likely use him more often than he was used on his previous team. Will the same hold true for Chase Claypool?

Claypool was not doing anyone any fantasy football favors this year while he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After back-to-back 800-yard years to kick off his career, Claypool and his fantasy value took a step back when Ben Roethlisberger was no longer throwing to him. He posted an uninspired 32-311-1 line over eight games before he was sent to the Chicago Bears at the trade deadline.

Claypool received a new lease on life because of the trade and is now paired with one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL in Justin Fields. Yet while many fantasy managers probably picked him up after the trade, Claypool has not turned into Jerry Rice since joining the Bears. In his first two games with Chicago he had three receptions for 21 yards. So should fantasy managers who roster him think about dropping him? Here is my take:

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Should I Drop Chase Claypool For Fantasy Football Week 11?

Yes, you should drop Claypool and make room for another receiver on your fantasy roster. Claypool has too much going against him right now to trust using him in a fantasy lineup. The first problem is Fields and the offense the Bears employ. While Fields has been a fantasy force over the past month and has thrown eight touchdown passes in his last four outings, he has been doing more damage running the ball (467 rushing yards and five TD over same span).

Fields has only thrown for more than 200 yards in one game this season, and in that game he only threw for 208. His pass catchers do not have many yards and targets to divvy up. With No. 1 WR Darnell Mooney and phenom tight end Cole Kmet ahead of him in the pecking order, Claypool will be hard-pressed to deliver many useful fantasy stats with the target scraps left over.

Claypool also still needs more time to learn the Bears offense and be comfortable with Fields and his other teammates. Joining a team midseason is difficult enough. Learning an offense and the pass routes while trying to build immediate chemistry with your quarterback makes it almost impossible to put up decent numbers right out of the gate with a new team.

I am sure there will be some games where Claypool breaks long touchdowns thanks to Fields’ scrambling ability and play-action fakes. But because of the lack of opportunities for him in this offense he will be relegated to being a touchdown-dependent receiver and will have below-average value in PPR leagues. There are better receivers on your league’s waiver wire than he is. Feel free to drop Claypool and circle back on him in 2023 when Fields improves his passing and Claypool’s snap share is normal. Chicago traded a second-round pick for him, so he is definitely an integral part of their future plans.

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