In Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, the Chicago Bears will welcome their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. How does this matchup impact Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool’s fantasy value? Should you include him in your starting lineups? We’ll explore these questions in the following analysis.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bears WR Chase Claypool
After being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Chicago Bears on November 1 last year, Chase Claypool recorded 14 catches on 29 targets, accumulating 140 receiving yards but no touchdowns, over the course of seven games with the Bears.
In the offseason, Chicago added wide receiver DJ Moore, which could limit the amount of targets available for other Bears’ pass-catchers like Claypool.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
No, do not start Claypool in your Week 1 PPR leagues.
Claypool didn’t do much in his seven games with the Bears last season, and now the Chicago wide receiver room is more crowded. Even if QB Justin Fields improves as a passer, it’s hard to say how much Claypool will benefit.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
No, do not start Claypool in your Week 1 standard leagues.
The matchup against Green Bay isn’t great, and Claypool is third or fourth in the receiving pecking order for a Bears team that doesn’t throw the ball much. He’s better left on your bench.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Chase Claypool
If you need a deep wide receiver for streaming purposes in large leagues, then I would rather go with guys like Darius Slayton of the New York Giants or DeVante Parker of the New England Patriots.
In the FLEX spot, running backs like Tank Bigsby and Damien Harris have touchdown upside to make them worth considering over Claypool — even in PPR leagues.