Bears' Top Players to Target in Fantasy Football Drafts

The Chicago Bears were a playoff team in 2020, though they won only eight games and dealt with their fair share of offensive issues. They ranked just 26th in total offense and 22nd in points scored, which surely was not lost on fantasy football managers.

Will the 2021 season bring an offensive resurgence to Chicago? That's a question Bears fans and fantasy managers alike are probably asking.

Chicago moved on from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the offseason, adding journeyman Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields at the position. It also swapped out receiver Anthony Miller for Damiere Byrd and drafted Tevin Jenkins to be the new starting left tackle.

Will these additions make Chicago a prime fantasy destination for managers? Perhaps not, but a few players are worth targeting on draft day. We'll examine those names here.

Sleepers

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Before we get into our top options, let's examine a few potential sleepers worth targeting late.

First up, we have Chicago's quarterbacks, though let's be clear, neither Dalton nor Fields is worth targeting as a starter. Whoever wins the quarterback competition—likely Dalton, as Chicago appears uninterested in rushing Fields—will have some streaming/backup potential.

Wideout Damiere Byrd also falls into sleeper territory. While some fans may consider him an offseason afterthought, he did have 47 receptions, 604 receiving yards and a touchdown with the New England Patriots last season. It'll be worth following him during the preseason to see what sort of role coach Matt Nagy has in store for him.

Then, there's running back Tarik Cohen. A valuable receiving back and point-per-reception (PPR) option when healthy, he is coming off of a torn ACL and may not be ready for the start of the season.

"Cohen, who is watching practice today, still walking gingerly as he continues recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee," Mark Grote of WSCR Radio tweeted on July 29.

Two years ago, Cohen had 79 receptions, 669 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns, but his health must be considered on draft day.

RB David Montgomery

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David Montgomery has not emerged as an elite running back during his two years as a pro. However, he's been more than serviceable as a starter and should be considered a high-end RB2 in fantasy.

Last season, the 24-year-old barely topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,070), but he also added 54 receptions, 438 receiving yards and had 10 total touchdowns. His PPR potential is critical when valuing him on draft day, which is why it will be worth following Cohen's health closely.

If Cohen turns the corner and is 100 percent toward the end of preseason, Montgomery's value will take a hit.

The Iowa State product will also compete for touches with Damien Williams, who opted out of the 2020 season but had 711 scrimmage yards the previous year. It's worth targeting Montgomery somewhere between Rounds 3 and 5.

WR Darnell Mooney

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With Miller out, second-year wideout Darnell Mooney should be the clear second option next to No. 1 wideout Allen Robinson II. This isn't enough to make him a high draft target, but Mooney should be a low-end RB2 or flex option.

A year ago, the 23-year-old finished with 61 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns. He appeared in all 16 games but only made nine starts. He also had at least two receptions in every single game, and he had four or more receptions in seven of 16 contests. This gives him a solid floor in PPR scoring formats.

Mooney should be Chicago's No. 2 perimeter target and he has legitimate 1,000-yard potential—if the Bears can get improved quarterback play out of Dalton/Fields.

Again, we're not talking extreme production here, but the Tulane product could be a real steal in the 10th round or later.

WR Allen Robinson II

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Wideout Allen Robinson II is the Bears player to target in fantasy drafts. Even if the tandem of Dalton and Fields cannot dramatically improve Chicago's passing attack, Robinson is going to put up quality numbers.

A year ago, the 27-year-old dealt with the duo of Trubisky and Nick Foles. As a team, Chicago ranked just 22nd in passing yards and 26th in yards per attempt. Yet, Robinson still racked up 1,250 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Over the past two seasons, the Penn State product has produced 200 receptions, 2,397 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.

Robinson is a legitimate WR1 with an incredibly high floor. Regardless of quarterback play, he's likely to only be limited by injuries. He may not have the upside of receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs, but he's definitely worth scooping up in the second-to-third-round range.