With the Chicago Bears welcoming the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, the Bears offense could get a huge boon in fantasy with the return of Justin Fields. Among the top players to keep an eye on will be tight end Cole Kmet, who despite playing with a shake-up at quarterback, has remained a top-five fantasy tight end to date.
How comfortable should fantasy managers be in starting Kmet this week? We break down his fantasy upside ahead of Thursday night’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bears TE Cole Kmet
Heading into Week 10, Kmet clocks in as TE5 in PPR fantasy leagues with an average of 7.5 fantasy points per game. Despite playing with a carousel at quarterback, he’s caught 41 of his 50 targets for 374 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
Start or sit in Week 10 PPR leagues?
Start. Kmet returned to practice in full this week and is fresh off averaging 20.7 PPR fantasy points over the last two weeks. In that span, Kmet has seen 18 targets while finding the end zone twice, all while catching passes from backup Tyson Bagent. With Justin Fields potentially back in the fold this week, Kmet’s stock rises even higher than his usual standing as a low-end TE1.
He also has a great baseline to work from when it comes to the matchup, as the Panthers are allowing 5.8 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.
Start or sit in Week 10 standard leagues?
Start. Kmet’s fantasy trajectory continues to point upward, and he’ll get a significant boon to his ceiling if Fields is available to play. The Bears’ tight end has caught five touchdown passes in his last six games and has become one of the go-to targets in the passing game. His 374 receiving yards on the season trails only D.J. Moore, while his five touchdowns are tied with Moore for most among Bears receivers.
If Fields is unable to play, Kmet remains a low-end TE1. If Kmet gets his starting quarterback back into the fold, he jumps to a clear TE1 with solid value.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Cole Kmet
Trey McBride could re-emerge back onto the fantasy radar this week after putting up a dud in Week 9. The main factor working in his favor is the return of Kyler Murray, who immediately elevates everyone’s fantasy ceiling on the Arizona Cardinals offense. Fantasy managers should remember that we’re just two weeks removed from his 25.5 PPR fantasy performance, so he’s more than capable of putting up big numbers in
