The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are in full swing. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the fantasy value of all the players in the Chicago Bears’ backfield.
Chicago Bears Backfield
The Bears are looking to take a big leap forward in Caleb Williams’ sophomore season. Things did not go as planned for the Bears last season, and their coaching staff got a full overhaul. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams was not able to reach the heights of other rookie quarterbacks last season, so the Bears hired one of the top offensive minds in the sport. Former Lions’ Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson is the new head coach in Chicago, and the organization believes he will be able to unlock Williams and make this one of the most exciting offenses in football. There are plenty of weapons for Williams to work with, as long as he has better protection on the offensive line than he had last season.
One of the best weapons at Williams’ disposal is D’Andre Swift. Swift and Johnson were in Detroit together for three seasons, so there is a lot of familiarity there. Johnson knows how to get the most out of Swift, and that is by using him in the receiving game almost as much as in the running game. When Swift was at his best in Detroit, he was the backup running back, but still getting over 100 carries per season. He was also a serious threat in the passing game. Last season, Swift managed to stay healthy for all 17 games, but it was his least productive season in terms of yards per carry. Part of that can be attributed to poor offensive line play, but also to coaches not knowing how to utilize his unique ability.
Running Back Handcuff: Roschon Johnson
When Ben Johnson was in Detroit, they had the best running back duo in the NFL. During his time running the offense, the Lions developed their famous “Sonic and Knuckles” duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Johnson found ways to use Gibbs’ speed and ability in the passing game, along with Montgomery’s between-the-carries power running ability. While Gibbs was clearly the main man, Montgomery still rushed for over 700 yards and ranked in the top ten in the NFL in rushing touchdowns. That could be the approach Ben Johnson takes with D’Andre Swift and backup running back Roschon Johnson.
Swift is not quite on Gibbs’ level and Johnson is not quite on Montgomery’s level, but the duo could be used similarly. Swift is quick and a dangerous threat in the passing game. Meanwhile, Johnson has been used as a goal-line specialist during his time in Chicago. Johnson only got 55 carries last season, and six of them were for touchdowns. Swift rushed for over 800 more yards than Johnson, but the two ended up with the same number of rushing touchdowns. Both of their stocks should now go up with Ben Johnson running the offense. Ben Johnson will get the most out of D’Andre Swift and will give Roschon Johnson more carries, both to make sure Swift is overworked and to give defenses a different look with a different style of runner.
