The next stop on our tour of the NFL’s offenses takes us to the Windy City. The Bears have struggled lately, the last time they made the postseason was the double-doink game, but new hope seems to have appeared. Justin Fields wasn’t exactly awe-inspiring in his rookie season but the flashes were there. While Darnell Mooney has the makings of a true number one receiver. But what does it all mean for the Bears’ fantasy outlook?

New head coach Matt Eberflus has an excellent track record. He should be able to return the Bears’ defense to the outright dominance that made them playoff contenders under Mitch Trubisky. Eberflus has also stated that he intends to bring the Shanahan offensive system to Chicago. The Bears should score more points and amass more yards using the zone running concepts. You can also expect to see a lot more of the pass, meaning Fields and the Bears receivers will be better fantasy weapons as well.

QB

Justin Fields

As a rookie Fields showed flashes of what made him the second-best quarterback on my board in the 2021 draft. However that was mixed in with a lot of poor play, Fields routinely struggled with his pocket presence, footwork, and ball placement. His fantasy upside is obvious, given his eye-popping arm strength and ability to make plays with his legs. I’m just not sure that upside cashes just yet. 

While Fields should be significantly improved over last season, I think his supporting cast will need an upgrade before he’s a QB1. The new and, hopefully, improved coaching staff will help, but learning two new systems in two years will be a challenge. New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is going to let him throw it deep but that will bring more growing pains.

He’s a great pickup in any dynasty league though, even if you already have a QB1 you trust, snagging him as a backup or future option is just good business. The price tag is gonna be pretty steep here though, expect him to be gone between Rounds 4-7 in startup drafts. 

Redraft Value: Better off on the bench, a great backup plan in case anything happens to QB1

Dynasty Value: Highly valuable prospect, while Fields doesn’t carry a ton of 2022 value his future value could be exponentially greater

RB

David Montgomery

Entering last season Montgomery had quietly established himself as one of the NFL’s most elusive scat-backs. However, 2021 was a relatively disappointing year by Montgomery’s standards. His yards-per-carry dropped from 4.3 to just 3.8 and his yards-per-reception fell from 8.1 to 7.1. He’s always been an inefficient receiver but taking a step back as a rusher last year is a slight red flag.

In a running theme with my Justin Fields projection, I have to project an increase in effectiveness from Montgomery. If Fields takes even a moderate step forward we should see Montgomery’s receiving output increase as well. He should see more targets and a better Bears team would also help jump his rushing opportunities. I’m going to go ahead and say Montgomery is a bit of a gamble but still a buy. 

Redraft Value: RB2 in most leagues

Dynasty Value: At 24 this year is critical to long-term value, a return to form likely solidifies his value as a top 10 RB. As of now though he finds himself in the 15-20 range. 

Khalil Herbert

Herbert was a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft and was highly effective when Montgomery was out. He produced double-digit fantasy performances in Weeks 6 and 7 and seemed headed for a bigger role. However, in another odd decision by Matt Nagy, he was used at an extremely low rate. Even after proving his effectiveness, he saw just 25 total carries after Week 8. New head coach Matt Eberflus is a defensive-minded head coach but he brought over Getsy from the Packers. Getsy is a student of Mike McCarthy and by extension Mike Shannahan meaning he will likely look to implement the zone run scheme. This should be good news for Herbert as this offense often brings more opportunities for a change of pace back. 

Redraft Value: Great Bench RB in case of injury to a starter, could have tons of value if Montgomery becomes injured

Dynasty Value: Bench RB for now, could be an RB1 or 2 next season. 

Darrynton Evans

Evans has spent the majority of his career as a return specialist. He’s unlikely to see many touches at running back barring a series of injuries at the position.

Redraft Value: No Fantasy Value

Dynasty Value: No Fantasy Value

WR

Darnell Mooney

Mooney is a major buy this year and his ADP remaining low surprises me. He currently sits at WR32 by Sleeper, below Rashod Bateman and Chris Olave. This is simply disrespectful to the 24-year-old Bears WR. He cleared 1,000 yards last season for the first time while seeing 140 targets. He should be due to see even more targets in 2022 thanks to the departure of Allen Robinson.

The biggest hurdle to clear for Mooney is his drop issues. Mooney dropped four balls this past season and two the year before. His career catch rate of just 59 percent has made him frustratingly inefficient. Even if he still struggles to haul in targets Mooney should easily be a WR2 off his volume alone. 

Redraft Value: WR2 with WR1 potential, a huge steal at current ADP

Dynasty Value: Mooney seems like a potential franchise WR for the Bears and if Fields continues to rise his value will soar. 

Byron Pringle

Pringle was a serviceable backup in Kansas City from 2018 to 2021 and signed a one-year deal in Chicago in March. He was arrested in April for reckless driving and driving under a suspended license starting his Bears tenure off on the wrong foot. Pringle seems to have been able to avoid serious punishment for this however and is back in camp. 

Pringle has flashed elite production in a few games over his four-year career but he’s never been able to sustain it. Playing alongside Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce helped him get open and having Mahomes throw the ball didn’t hurt either. Pringle should help the Bears stretch the field but his fantasy value is low. Even a potential increase in targets shouldn’t convince you to buy in here. He could easily get passed by Velus Jones and will be fighting Dazz Newsome, Mooney, and Kmet as well for targets. 

Redraft Value: Bench with Flex Potential, injuries in the Bears’ WR core could increase his value but he’s best on a bench

Dynasty Value: Pringle is unlikely to stick with the Bears for long barring an excellent season and that leaves his long-term value quite low. 

Velus Jones Jr

Velus Jones was drafted in the third round out of Tennessee in this year’s draft. He projects to be the fourth target in the Bears’ offense in Week one and should grow as he goes. I could easily see him passing up Pringle as I mentioned before and becoming the third or even second option. 

Jones lacks size but makes up for it with blistering speed that should help Fields. He should be able to draw targets as a deep threat for the Bears making him a potential low volume/high output option. His ability to burst off the line and sustain his speed makes him hard to catch on the outside and his hands aren’t a big concern either (only nine drops in 162 career targets). 

Redraft Value: Early season Bench but could quickly grow into a Flex or even WR2, Jones has a lot of talent and his speed and hands could make him a favorite target of Fields. Could be a major steal

Dynasty Value: Very good long-term value here, he could be a nice running mate with Darnell Mooney for years to come.

Equanimeous St. Brown and Dazz Newsome

We’ll cover these two together here. St. Brown and Newsome and both solid depth options that could see decent target share combined. Unfortunately, neither is primed to see enough targets to be a true fantasy option. St. Brown could maybe land on a bench in some very deep leagues. 

Redraft Value: No real value

Dynasty Value: No real value

TE

Cole Kmet

Kmet could be due for a big-time breakout in year three. As we’ve discussed before the growth of Justin Fields will benefit him and help him see more targets in general. He fully established himself as a regular option in the Bears’ offense last year despite not catching a touchdown.

Cole Kmet was raised in Illinois as a huge Bears fan.

You can tell there’s a hatred for the Packers in his DNA. pic.twitter.com/tFYfw7TWw8

— Max Markham (@MaxMarkhamNFL) June 4, 2021

This year, with the Bears moving on from Jimmy Graham, Kmet should be the primary red-zone option. His size and athleticism make him highly unlikely to repeat his 6.6 yards per target stat from last year. Kmet is a strong buy for me this year in redraft and dynasty. 

Redraft Value: TE1 or Flex, Kmet has high volume and high output potential this season

Dynasty Value: Long-term TE1 potential, Kmet has the receiving skills and size to develop into one of the league’s better tight ends. 

Follow @Research_Passer on Twitter for fantasy team advice, NFL hot takes, and more! For a fantasy preview of the Los Angeles Rams, click here! To stay updated on everything sports-related make sure you follow @BellyUpFantasy and @BellyUpSports