The Chicago Bears entered this season with as much buzz as any team in the NFL. Following an offseason in which they drafted Caleb Williams with the number one overall pick, were featured on Hard Knocks, and made several other additions to catapult themselves into the contending conversation- there have been more growing pains than some expected.
The Bears enter their Week 4 matchup with the Rams with a 1-2 record. They are averaging just 17.7 points per game, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, and are 30th in yards tallied. The lack of passing game production has been at the heart of these issues. Chicago ranks 25th in the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Overall, Caleb Williams has thrown for 630 passing yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Williams was held to just 93 yards passing in the opening game and 174 yards in Week 2. The USC product seemed to break out last week, throwing for 363 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But is this here to stay and which wide receiver will be the biggest beneficiary in Week 4?
Bears Wide Receivers Outlook:
The first note regarding the Bears’ passing game has been the disappointing offensive line play. Caleb Williams has been sacked 13 times through the first three games. Too often Williams did not have time to properly go through his reads and the offense was held in neutral. This will continue to be a work in progress, but last week was the first sign this issue is trending in the right direction.
DJ Moore
Headlining the wide receiver production thus far is DJ Moore. He has been targeted 27 times, which is tied for seventh among all wide receivers. He has caught 19 of these passes for 167 yards and eight first downs through the opening three weeks.
Moore is in his second season with the Bears and was a part of the trade that paved the way for Williams to find his way to Chicago. Last season he recorded 96 receptions for 1,364 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked sixth in the NFL in receiving yards last season.
Until someone proves they are worthy of taking the crown, expect Moore to be the top pass catcher within the Bears offense. He currently ranks 31st among wide receivers based on DraftKings fantasy scoring and finished last year as the seventh best-producing pass catcher. His production has improved each week and he is coming off an eight-reception performance for 78 yards. While the offensive line brings a bit of a risk, Moore is a comfortable WR2 within lineups and you could do worse than having him as your WR1.
Rome Odunze
In addition to selecting Williams, the Bears drafted Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the hopes of providing him with a long-term receiving partner. Odunze has battled injury issues through the early weeks of his NFL career. While he has suited up for all three games, his status has been uncertain leading into the first two games and he is back on the injury report with a hip injury leading into this week.
Odunze had his best performance in Week 3 where he tallied six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. His 26.4 fantasy points ranked seventh among all wide receivers based on DraftKings scoring. On the season as a whole, he has been targeted 20 times. He has only hauled in nine of these pass attempts for 156 yards and the lone touchdown.
Keep an eye on the injury report leading up to this game. But assuming Odunze is available, it is worth utilizing him in your lineups. He will have some ups and downs throughout the season, but Odunze is the Bears’ wide receiver you should be looking to invest in for the long term. His big play potential and sure hands have a place within the Chicago offense and I feel good about him building off last week’s strong performance in this matchup with the Rams.
Keenan Allen
One of the more surprising additions of the Bears’ offseason was former Chargers star Keenan Allen in free agency. A familiar issue of Allen’s has shown face as injuries have impacted his availability. Allen caught four of the 11 passes thrown his way for 29 yards in the opening week. Bothered by a heel issue, Allen then missed the next two weeks but seems on track to make his return in Week 4.
Keep an eye on the injury report, but leave Keenan Allen on the bench even if he does play in Week 4. There are a lot of mouths to feed within this Chicago offense and it will be a work in progress maximizing each wide receiver. Allen has eclipsed 1,000 yards in six different seasons throughout his career and will have some successful weeks moving forward. But, both Moore and Odunze have more game experience alongside their rookie quarterback and should be expecting more significant target shares.
The Los Angeles Rams have struggled defensively this season, leaving opportunity for this Bears’ offense. Through the opening three weeks, they have allowed the most yards of any team in the NFL and rank 31st in points allowed. Los Angeles also has only tallied four sacks, which is tied for the third-worst rate in the NFL, bringing a sigh of relief to the Bears’ offensive line.
After seemingly turning a corner last week, look for Caleb Williams to build off a successful performance against a porous defense. Wait and see how Keenan Allen fits back into the offense and what his level of opportunity looks like, but both DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are worth having in your fantasy football lineups in Week 4.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
