The Bears have been one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, with coach Ben Johnson keeping them productive even with Caleb Williams (hamstring) out and Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent each getting playing time. Regardless of who has been at QB, the running game has been very effective, with Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift each putting up good numbers. Both backs are battling injuries of their own coming into Week 5, though, so what can we expect from the Bears backfield this week?
Let’s dive in and take a look at the latest on the injuries to Monangai and Swift, and then look at how to approach the situation in Week 5’s contest against the Packers.
Kyle Monangai Injury Update
Last week, Monangai went off for a monster performance against the Jets. He posted 31 FPTS by taking his 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He ran with power and evasiveness on his way to a career game. He left the field at the end of the game and went into the tent to deal with a thumb injury, but the team revealed in Wednesday’s injury report that he’s also dealing with turf toe.
Monangai is planning to try to play through the issue, but he has been unable to practice this week. The injury is a painful one to play through, so it may be smarter for the team to give him a week or two off to resolve the issue. They could also let him play but limit his usage and his reps to give him a chance to recover.
Be sure to keep an eye on the team’s practice report from Friday since it will be key to determining if Monangai is available this week at all, and if so, if the team manages his snaps and carries.
D’Andre Swift Injury Update
Part of the reason that Monangai got so much work in Week 4 was that Swift was limited by hip and knee injuries. Swift has also had some fumbling issues this season, and coach Ben Johnson said, “The one last week was egregious; we can’t have that… but he (Swift) will be just fine.” Swift didn’t return to the game after the fumble on Sunday, which is when Monangai racked up his huge yardage.
Swift missed practice on Wednesday and returned to a limited practice on Thursday. The latest info from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicates that Swift will be able to play this week:
Swift’s knee injury has made him a regular on the midweek injury report, but it doesn’t look like it will hold him back this week. If he can take care of the fumble issues, he should be set for a big game in Green Bay.
D’Andre Swift Fantasy Football Outlook
Swift started the season with 35.4 FPTS in Week 1 against the Panthers, scoring three rushing touchdowns. He hasn’t been back to the end zone since then, even though he has had 15+ carries in each game. He also has gotten more involved as a receiver out of the backfield in the last few weeks, catching multiple passes in each contest.
If Monangai were healthy after last week’s performance, he would be a real threat to take over the backfield from Swift, making Swift a high-risk FLEX play. However, with Monangai’s injury, Swift is a strong RB2 with RB1 upside. The Bears have dominated the offensive line, creating reat opportunities for whichever running back is in the backfield.
If Swift is ready for his 15-to-20 carries again this week against the Packers and can hold on to the ball, he is in a great spot to succeed. The Packers have allowed the third-most fantasy points in the NFL to running backs this season. Opposing running backs have eight touchdowns in four weeks against Green Bay, while averaging 113.75 rushing yards and 28.25 receiving yards per week.
The Bottom Line: Kyle Monangai’s injury makes D’Andre Swift a Top Option in Week 5
If Monangai is out, Swift would be a top-10 running back option this week in that juicy matchup against the Packers. He has the potential to go off for a week as he did in Week 1 if he’s set to be the team’s bell-cow back. He’s only $6,200 in this week’s DFS contests like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings. Monangai has a $5,200 salary, and backup Roschon Johnson ($4,200) could be worth a look as a punt play if he takes on some of Monangai’s work for a few weeks to let him recover.
If Monangai plays but is limited, Swift still has a high ceiling, but he’ll likely lose enough carries to keep him as a strong RB2 rather than an elite option. He’s still a strong play since Monangai will be at less than 100%, but he doesn’t have quite as high a floor as if he were getting all the work.
