Camp Notes, Volume 15: Chicago Bears

Curtis Patrick Posted On September 1, 2017

Dynasty fantasy football is our beloved stripped-down approximation of the NFL. We are the head coaches and general managers of our teams, choosing who stays or goes, and who plays or sits. NFL Training Camps are perhaps the best opportunity we have on the dynasty calendar to project how useful our assets will be in the coming season, particularly when it comes to managing the bottom third of our roster. The better you know the rosters of every NFL team, the more prepared you’ll be to execute the corresponding dynasty moves when camp news breaks. I’m mining all the beat reports, team websites, and post-practice press conferences to bring you a comprehensive overview of what’s going on this summer in all 32 training camps.

Chicago Bears

Our 15th stop on the 2017 DLF Training Camp Tour is with the Chicago Bears. The Bears are a team in midst of a total rebuild and it would not be a surprise if head coach, John Fox, doesn’t return in 2018. The team went 3-13 in 2016, and if you’ll believe it, things might be worse this season. Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery are gone and what remains resembles a team that could challenge for a wild card spot in the CFL if everything bounced correctly. Teams in this state make for difficult read in dynasty. I prefer to view all of the producers as single year assets, unless they are young, have a history of significant fantasy production, or have high draft pedigree. There are no players that check all three boxes on this team.

In 2016, the Bears scored just 279 points, and it would be an upset if they exceeded that threshold this season. The passing offense ranked 14th in yards, thanks to plenty of garbage time. Five different quarterbacks attempted a pass. The rushing offense ranked 17th in yards, but most of them all went to the same player (more on that later).

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Chicago Bears rookies and veterans reported on July 26.

Mike Glennon is trying to filibuster the starting quarterback job by being only slightly terrible this preseason. In 2QB dynasty leagues he has fleeting value. In traditional dynasty leagues, move him if you can, although you shouldn’t expect much in return. Mitchell Trubisky has looked not only competent, but good. He’s completed over 70 percent of his passes and thrown for 354 yards and three touchdowns, with zero interceptions. He’ll be starting sometime in October, at the latest.

Jordan Howard posted one of the best rookie rushing seasons in NFL history despite the team’s poor overall performance. He returns as a favorite to be among the league leaders in attempts once again, but the 50 targets he saw last year figure to decrease due to the additions of 2017 rookie pick Tarik Cohen and free agent Benny Cunningham. Howard’s ADP has risen to the mid-second round and I’m starting to think he’s a screaming sell. I’m probably moving my shares, and will look to reinvest once his price has corrected. Cohen has lit up the preseason and has almost certainly earned a change of pace role. The diminutive back has posted a line of 19/121/0 on the ground. His fantasy ceiling is probably limited due to his size (he is not a Darren Sproles clone), but he could be a sneaky RB4 if he steals most of Howard’s targets in addition to seeing five or six carries per game. Jeremy Langford is also still on the roster.

If it weren’t for the New York Jets, the Bears would boast the worst wide receiver room I’ve ever seen on an NFL roster. The lone bright spot was 2016 breakout, Cameron Meredith, but he was lost to a devastating knee injury last week. Meredith had reached sixth round startup ADP, but that will predictably crash. He’s expected to make a full recovery, so this might be a situation to monitor; if you suspect an impatient owner, float a fourth-round pick. Kendall Wright is an immediate add if he’s somehow available. Based on the continued lackluster reports on Kevin White, Wright could end up leading the team in targets.

The Bears aggressively drafted NCAA FCS Division record destroyer Adam Shaheen in the second round of the NFL Draft. Shaheen is a raw prospect, but projects as a matchup nightmare due to his size. He scored touchdowns at whim in college. He has three receptions for 18 yards this preseason. I expect immediate production in the red zone, as has been seen in camp, and increased snap rate throughout the season. Zach Miller returns as the veteran and favorite to start the season. He’s probably free in your league and might give you solid TE2 production, but he’s not to be counted on as a solution.

Possible Cuts (among dynasty relevant players): none

Projected ADP Risers

Players Who Will Rise 1 or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 Season: Adam Shaheen, Tarik Cohen, Kendall Wright

Projected ADP Fallers

Players Who Will Fall 1 or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 Season: Jordan Howard, Cameron Meredith

Waiver Wire Watch List (players with ADP >240): Kendall Wright