Chicago

Bears

Nguyen added that Fields’ “shortcomings aren’t as dramatic as some of his naysayers believe.” Fields is entering his second year in the same offensive system with significant upgrades to his pass-catching group, including fantasy favorite D.J. Moore. He struggled mightily as a passer in 2022, ranking 27th in completion rate over expected on the year, though he improved in the season’s second half. Nguyen said Fields can’t hold the ball as long as he did last season and needs to make accurate throws from the pocket without stepping up to avoid pressure. Fields, per Nguyen, “needs to throw with more trust and anticipation.” Fields making the leap as a passer would make Moore and Cole Kmet major fantasy values at their current redraft ADPs.

As Fishbain notes in his article, Jones won’t be earning a lot of reps at wide receiver with D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, and Chase Claypool looking like the top-three options. The team also values Equanimeous St. Brown’s run blocking and added rookie Tyler Scott in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Fishbain suggests Jones could be in competition with veteran Dante Pettis for the final roster spot -- assuming the Bears break camp with six receivers. Jones proved his value as a kick return last season, but it was Pettis who handled punt return duties while also showing some chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. Jones, who the Bears selected in the third round of last year’s draft, finished the season with seven receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown, while running just 71 routes for a team already thin at receiver. Barring injuries, Jones could be in for an uphill battle to earn a roster spot this offseason. It should go without saying, but he’s also well off the fantasy radar.

“Just a few minor things he’s working with. He’s not in a time crunch,” Eberflus continued. Claypool has reportedly been sidelined for a few weeks and did not participate in minicamp, though the plan is to get him fully healthy ahead of training camp. It’s not a terrific sign that Claypool isn’t getting in all the offseason work he can with Justin Fields after coming over at the trade deadline in 2022, but the Bears have been very optimistic about his work up to this point these past few months.

The high-priced free agent guard returned for Chicago’s mandatory minicamp and appears to be ready for the season after missing the end of last year to an ankle injury. Davis profiles as the starter next to rookie RT Darnell Wright on the right side.

Getsy told reporters this week that he was not interested in limiting Fields’ rushing after the Bears quarterback in 2022 ran for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. Getsy said he has worked with Fields this offseason on “refining” his game and improving his decision making. “The running part of it -- most of that is a natural thing when you’re in the moment,” Getsy said. That Getsy and the Chicago coaching staff won’t encourage Fields to become more of a traditional pocket passer is excellent news for his fantasy prospects. Last year, Fields logged at least 10 rushing attempts in nine games.

Jackson suffered a Lisfranc injury near the end of November. Bears coach Matt Ebefrlus said “He’s in really good shape for working with the rehab staff, and I want to commend those guys, the training staff, for getting him back.” While he was limited to individual drills on Tuesday and only made a handful of team reps on Wednesday, it looks like he’s on the right track to be a go when the Bears open training camp.

On the surface, this doesn’t read as an exciting line. But this isn’t the first time Getsy has spoken highly of Claypool since the Bears’ season drew to a close. In early February, Getsy said he sees a chance for Claypool to see “a lot of opportunities” this season -- this, of course, came before the D.J. Moore trade. Even with Moore in town, the Bears gave up a 2023 second-round pick in exchange for Claypool, and should look to get him more involved in the offense heading into this season. Getsy also added that Claypool’s “knowledge of what’s going on around him” and his growing relationship with Justin Fields should bode well for him as the team prepares to enter training camp next month. Claypool’s fantasy outlook feels bleak at the moment, but he was an electric receiver through his first two years in the league when he totaled 121-1733-11 with the Steelers. With elite size and speed at the position, Claypool’s growth could lead to a rebound in 2023.

It’s worth noting that D’Onta Foreman is not participating in OTAs, as Foreman stands to be Herbert’s biggest threat for early playing time. Still, there’s a lot to be excited about with Herbert after he outproduced the now-departed David Montgomery in nearly every efficiency metric last season. While splitting touches with Montgomery, Herbert still managed to run for 129-731-4 and added another 57 yards and one score through the air. The Bears are still expected to hold a running back competition in camp, giving Herbert a legitimate chance to secure RB1 duties by the end of the summer.

Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12 last year. He eventually underwent surgery and has been absent from OTAs to start the offseason. Training camp won’t start until late July, so Mooney still has over a month before the offseason is in full swing. Even once healthy, it’s hard to be optimistic about Mooney’s fantasy prospects. The Bears ranked dead last in pass attempts per game in 2022 and added D.J. Moore to the mix in the offseason. Mooney projects as a volatile WR4/5 heading into his fourth NFL season.

It’s possible that Davis is still rehabbing an ankle injury that put him on IR in late December, but if that’s true you won’t hear about it from Matt Eberflus, who refused to offer any details and later in the piece is quoted as saying “I’m not really going to talk about the injuries.” Davis signed a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason and is projected to start at right guard so long as this isn’t serious.