The Chicago Bears have a meeting with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. It’s going to be a tough test for this 4-6 Chicago team as they face an 8-2 Vikings squad seeking a key NFC North victory.
Bears RB D’Andre Swift had a rough first couple of weeks in his first season with his new team, but has mostly excelled ever since. His success has relegated second-year halfback Roschon Johnson to a complementary role, though Johnson did score 11.1 fantasy points in Week 11.
So, is Johnson a start or a sit for this week’s divisional clash?
Analysis
His season so far
Johnson is a jack-of-all-trades type back, and though his athleticism doesn’t jump off the charts, he’s a reliable option in goal-line and short-yardage situations. While it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, he’s a fantastic pass protector, too. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t had much of a chance to show what he can do as a featured back due to Swift’s presence.
The second-year halfback has carried the ball 46 times for 137 yards and five touchdowns this season. He’s also caught 10-of-14 targets for 78 yards through the air.
While he will continue working as the second backfield option for the Bears, Johnson’s 10 carries last week matched his season-high. He also set a new season-high with 42% of snaps played, which is not insignificant considering it was the first game under interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
Week 12 matchup
Here’s the unfortunate part of the case for Johnson in Week 11. The Vikings’ defense is one of the NFL’s most formidable foes.
Minnesota’s defense ranks first in rushing yards per game (74.4), 10th-best in total yards (309.2), second-best in rushing TDs allowed per contest (0.4), and first in EPA/rush (-0.28). That last statistic is particularly impressive, but the unit as a whole stifles the run at the most elite level.
Start or sit?
Much of Johnson’s week-to-week fantasy value depends on whether he breaks the plane into the end zone. Against a tough lockdown defense like the Vikings’, he may be hard-pressed to find a scoring opportunity. The Bears will almost certainly trail, so a pass-heavy game script means Swift will get more usage in the receiving game, too.
As underrated a talent Johnson is, he’s a much better real-life running back than fantasy football contributor (for now). He’s a sit this week.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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