Last year, Cole Kmet entered the season with a fair bit of fantasy hype around his name, hype which he justified with a strong second half of the season. Now he’ll enter 2023 as another weapon for Justin Fields in the Bears’ new-look offense. Here’s the lowdown on his fantasy value for Week 1.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bears TE Cole Kmet
After tallying only 56 yards in the Bears’ first four games, Kmet picked up his production as the season went on, as he recorded all seven of his touchdowns from Week 8 on. The connection he has with Fields is undeniable, but he also enters the season as a lower option due to the team’s acquisition of wide receiver D.J. Moore and their affinity for running back Khalil Herbert.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
Start. With Travis Kelce missing Thursday night, every tight end moves up a rung, which makes Kmet all the more valuable to have on your roster. While there’s some concern about Moore and Herbert could eat into Kmet’s value, there’s no denying that he’s turned into a safety blanket for Fields. Kmet deserves a start as your TE1, and should also be looked at as FLEX option, depending on your roster.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Start. Kmet had two multi-score games last season and holds a lot of value in the red zone as a big-bodied target. While he had 14 games last season where he had multiple catches (which does nothing for you in a standard league), his potential in the Bears offense should earn him a starting spot.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Cole Kmet
Kmet enters the week as the No. 15 ranked tight end at Fantasypros, which I think is a little low for someone with his value. Kmet ended last year as a bonafide TE1, and I don’t expect that to change even with the addition of Moore. Now, I don’t think you should start him over a clear-cut TE1 like George Kittle or Mark Andrews, but if your roster consists of him and David Njoku (TE10 at Fantasypros) or Dalton Schultz, then I think he earns a start over them.
He’s the No. 112 FLEX player right between Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet and Saints tight end Juwan Johnson. Kmet should get a FLEX start only if all of the other running backs on your bench are backups with no clear route to touches or boom or bust wide receivers.