Chicago Bears: 5 Fantasy Football Players To Target
Fantasy Football: 5 Players to Target from the Chicago Bears
With new head coach Marc Trestman in town, the Chicago Bears' offense should be much more explosive than past seasons. Under Lovie Smith, the Bears relied on their defense and did not get much out of their offense. Yes, the players had something to do with this as well, but I put a majority of the blame on the coaching staff. Smith was never willing to get creative offensively. He used the same basic running scheme and vanilla passing game year after year. I am not saying that it will definitely work, but the offense will be much different under Trestman.
In 2002 and 2003, Trestman was the offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. Under the direction of Trestman, QB Rich Gannon won the 2002 NFL MVP. He was fantastic that season and had plenty of opportunity to throw the ball. Trestman and his offensive mind went to the CFL in 2008, as he was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes from 2008-2012. Trestman's offense was a huge success in Canada, and the Alouettes won back-to-back championships with him leading the way. Also, quarterback Anthony Calvillo won back-to-back league MVP awards and is thought to be the best QB in the CFL.
Let us just say that Trestman knows how to coach offense. With an aging defense and playing in a very tough division, I would not be surprised to see Chicago miss out on the playoffs this season. However, I think that we will see the offense be much improved under Trestman. There is some elite talent on this team that was just underutilized by the old coaching staff. I think that the Chicago offense will be a great source of fantasy output this season. Here are five Bears who you should be targeting in your fantasy football draft.
Daniel is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @D_Schmelzer and add him to your network on Google.
No. 5: Martellus Bennett, TE
Martellus Bennett was solid last season in his first year as a featured tight end. Bennett had 55 receptions for 626 yards and five touchdowns. He is never going to give you Jimmy Graham numbers, but I think Bennett is a nice value pick late in your draft. The Bears have needed a tight end who could stretch the field for some time now, and Bennett is that guy. I think he is in for another solid season.
No. 4: Jay Cutler, QB
Based on pure talent, Jay Cutler is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Obviously, it has not come together for Cutler just yet. He has struggled in his time with the Bears, but I am not sure it is entirely his fault. Chicago has had some of the worst offensive lines in the game while Cutler has been a Bear. He is constantly running for his life and playing for a coaching staff who refused to showcase his talents. The Bears upgraded the offensive line this season, and Trestman will surely be looking to let Cutler show off his skills. I think Cutler is being extremely under valued in fantasy and is a great late-round pick.
No. 3: Matt Forte, RB
Running backs in Trestman's offense usually do not get a ton of carries. That being said, he loves to use his running backs as receivers out of the backfield. Under Trestman in 2002, Raiders' running back Charlie Garner had 91 receptions. 91 receptions for a running back! That is a ridiculous number. Matt Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield. Forte will get some carries, but I think that Trestman will use him a ton in the passing game. I especially like Forte in leagues with PPR format.
No. 2: Alshon Jeffery, WR
Alshon Jeffery showed some nice flashes last season. He is a big, talented receiver who I think will be much more productive this season. I think that Cutler will be forced to spread the ball around the field in Trestman's offense, and Jeffery will be a huge benefactor of that. Jeffery is a nice wide receiver to target late in your draft.
No. 1: Brandon Marshall, WR
If there is one player who sees a dip in production under Trestman, I think it will be Brandon Marshall. Now, do not get me wrong, Marshall is an elite receiver and will still put up good numbers. Marshall was Cutler's obvious No. 1 target last season. Cutler looked his way on every single play. He did not seem to trust his other receivers, forcing the ball into double coverage to Marshall all season. This was great for fantasy owners of Marshall, as he had a career year. I think that Trestman is going to make Cutler spread the ball around the field much more this season. Sure, he will still throw to his favorite target, but I do not expect a repeat performance out of Marshall. He still holds plenty of fantasy value, I just recommend tempering expectations a bit.
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