2015 Review
Jay Cutler was darn good last season, putting up the best statistical performance of his career. However, the rest of the team struggled to do anything of substance. In what would end up being the final year of his deal, Matt Forte found himself injury prone. Meanwhile, then rookie receiver Kevin White didn't play a single snap after being selected in the first round.
Overall, Chicago finished in dead last place in the NFC North with a 6-10 record. It couldn't find a consistent running game, saw its defense struggle considerably and ended up losing seven points by one score. Here's a look at the Bears 2016 campaign from a fantasy perspective.
Quarterback: Jay Cutler
As mentioned above, Cutler had one heck of a season in 2015. He tallied 3,659 passing yards with 21 scores and 11 touchdowns. Really good numbers, but not something that translates extremely well to the fantasy football world. This saw him finish as a bottom-end QB2. If that wasn't bad enough, Cutler ranked 25th among quarterbacks in consistency.
There's a couple things to look at here heading into the 2016 season. First off, Forte has moved on to the New York Jets. While this could cause some issues as it relates to balance on offense, it should increase Cutler's fantasy opportunities. Here's a quarterback that attempted 483 passes a season ago. An increase to 550-plus here will see him climb naturally in the fantasy rankings.
None of this means that Cutler will be anywhere near a QB1 option heading into the 2016 season. Though, with an ADP that values him outside of a draftable commodity in 12-team leagues, Cutler could act as a decent QB2 option on a roster that boasts an elite-level starter. That's about where he stands right now.
Running Back: Jeremy Langford, Jordan Howard
The unknowns here are too real. Is Langford going to be the featured back or will he split time with first-year player Jordan Howard? Langford, a mid-round pick of the Chicago Bears, spelled Forte at times last season, tallying 816 total yards and seven scores on 170 total touches last season. Though, his 3.6 yards per carry average was extremely disappointing. Meanwhile, Howard is also an uknown here. He did perform at an extremely high level for Indiana last season, but there's no telling how much action he's going to see as a rookie.
All said, the Bears' running backs should be avoided here. We simply don't know how the carries are going to be doled out. With an ADP in the fifth round, Langford's value is definitely questionable heading into the season. If he were being taken in the later rounds, the second-year player might be worth a chance. That's simply not the case.
Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Eddie Royal
Dealing with myriad of injuries last season, Jeffery struggled big time from an overall fantasy perspective. Though, when he did play, the former Pro Bowl receiver dominated the stat sheet. Jeffery recorded 54 receptions for 807 yards and four scores in just nine games. If you extrapolate that over a full 16-game slate, it would have led to 96 receptions for 1,434 yards.
With both Forte and Martellus Bennett now playing in the NFC East, there should be pleny more opportunities for Jeffery in the passing game. Considering he averaged over 10 targets per game last season, that should tell us a lot about his ceiling in 2016. With an ADP at the bottom of the second round, it makes perfect sense to rely on him as a WR1 this season.
The rest of Chicago's wide receiver situation is unknown. After missing his rookie season to injury, a lot is being expected of White. The Bears are looking for him to take over as their No. 2 receiver behind Jeffery. While the talent is most definitely there, we have no idea just how he's going to mesh with Cutler. That makes White a late-round option at best.
On the other hand, Royal will likely be tasked with being the team's slot receiver. He put up 37 receptions for just 238 yards and a score last season. Royal's average of 4.8 yards per target was among the worst in the NFL. Yeah, that's not necessarily a fantasy relevant performer right there.
Tight End: Zach Miller
With Bennett now in New England, Miller takes over as the Bears' primary receiving tight end. It's not a shabby situation for Miller. It's also not a shabby situation for those who may be looking to find a gem in fantasy drafts this summer. Miller caught 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns last season. He also found a way to catch 74 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. With increased targets this year, Miller could act as an under-the-radar TE1 option in 12-team leagues.