If you had anyone on the Chicago Bears in your fantasy lineup Week 2, it probably did not end well. Quarterback Caleb Williams did not have a lot of fantasy points before having to exit with his hamstring injury. Wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III had poor performances. Tight end Colston Loveland only had one catch for three yards.
The only person who actually had a decent day in fantasy was running back D’Andre Swift, who finished the day with 45 rushing yards and five receptions for 54 yards. However, he also lost a fumble. But, Swift did finish the game as Chicago’s leading receiver as Odunze was second with just 43 rushing yards.
Currently, the weather forecast does not show any inclement weather for Chicago’s Monday night matchup
against the Philadelphia Eagles, although the Bears may also be playing with a third-string quarterback, so this is really a toss-up from a fantasy perspective.
Here are the Bears players you should start and sit in fantasy this week.
Sit: Quarterback
Right now, it is unclear if the starting quarterback in this game is going to be Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum. Caleb Williams has officially been ruled out, which means fantasy owners need to pivot. There are certainly fantasy owners who are in a desperate position at quarterback between Williams’ injury, Jaxson Dart’s season-ending injury and Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury. However, there are better options on the waiver wire than whoever Chicago’s quarterback is going to be.
Start: RB D’Andre Swift
He may have had a fumble against the Minnesota Vikings last week, but he came back in the game after his fumble and is still Chicago’s top offensive weapon. Especially with their uncertainty at quarterback, the Bears will rely on their run game. Swift is getting touches in both the run game and the passing game, which makes him even more valuable in PPR leagues. Swift will at least hit his projection just based on the amount of touches he is going to get and is a must-start right now in fantasy.
Sit: WR Rome Odunze
First, Chicago puts up 59 points in the season opener and Rome Odunze is only targeted three times. Then, the Bears only muster three points and he gets four targets. Odunze's poor production whether the offense is scoring points or not is rather confusing through the first two weeks. Furthermore, there are three players on the roster who have more targets than him so far - Kalif Raymond, Luther Burden and D’Andre Swift. Somehow, Odunze is taking a backseat in the offense where he is supposed to be the top receiver. Even if Williams was playing, Odunze should still stay on the bench at this point.
Start: WR Luther Burden III
Injuries are hitting every position, including wide receivers. Puka Nacua, Nico Collins and Zay Flowers all missed last week and are at risk of missing this week. Luther Burden may not be getting the best production, but he at least had seven targets against Minnesota. More importantly, all three of his catches came with Bagent at quarterback. If Bagent starts against the Eagles, this seems to favor Burden. So, Burden is still a startable receiver this week, especially in PPR leagues. Philadelphia is also a decent matchup for receivers.
Sit: TE Colston Loveland
Week 1 is officially not a fluke. Loveland only has five targets through the first two games. His only catch of the season was Week 2 against the Vikings. Right now, Chicago’s other tight ends, Cole Kmet and rookie Sam Roush, have more receiving yards than Loveland. Backup running back Kyle Monangai even has more receptions and receiving yards than Loveland. There are tight ends available on the waiver wire that have a higher floor and equal ceiling at this point. While it may be frustrating to bench someone who drafted so high in the draft, that is what Loveland fantasy owners have to do at this point.
Start: WR Kalif Raymond
This is only if you are desperate and if you are in a deep league with 12 teams or more. Kalif Raymond is Chicago’s leading receiver through the first two weeks and he was still targeted five times in their loss to the Vikings. He caught all five of those targets and had 40 receiving yards, giving him more fantasy points in PPR leagues than Odunze and Burden. While I do not believe this is a trend that is going to last all season and it is questionable whether this is even going to happen against Philadelphia given Chicago’s quarterback situation, his floor is decent if you are in a position where you just need someone who can put up six to eight points.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Fantasy football starts and sits for Chicago Bears players in Week 3
