This is a series on my 2014 outlook of players you would
want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football). What you'll find here are my views based on
years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching
stats, trends, and articles. I'll advise
where to reach and whose hype not to believe.
CHICAGO BEARS - Passing 268 ypg Rushing 114 ypg
Marc Trestman aka The Quarterback Whisperer had two stints as a
coordinator in the NFL where his teams in San Francisco and Oakland featured
high-powered passing games. The quick
passing schemes for his offenses are designed to emphasized efficiency. They went from 28th in total yards gained to
8th in one season.
QB: Don’t ignore Jay
Cutler in fantasy football this year, you may not really like him but his
ceiling is beyond intriguing. The optimism, my friends, is what Paper Pigskin
Point Potential is all about. Prior to
last season, Cutler's career in Chicago featured more interceptions than
touchdowns; in 2013 he had 19 tds to 11 ints in 10 full games. Cut is surrounded by touchdown machines,
which makes him a real threat for top-six QB production in Chi-town's second season with the quarterback whisperer. I'll keep this real simple... The Bears have
two wide receivers that finished as a fantasy WR1; every team with this
productivity had a quarterback also finish in the top 10. Cutler's only issue
is staying healthy; the risk is probably the main reason his ADP is QB13. Fortify
your roster with other positions early and you can be one of the last to get
your QB.
RB: Trestman’s offense from the good old days was his
proclivity of passing to running backs. So the PPR hype for Matt Forte going
into last season was out of this world, and he lived up to expectations, ending
up catching 74 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing
289 times for 1339 yards and nine touchdowns. The high usage usually draws a
red flag for me but Forte is adept at avoiding big hits. I expect more of the
same from Forte this season.
WR: Brandon Marshall
is probably the most complete wide receiver in the NFL ;he's perennially ranked close to the top in yardage, receptions, and touchdowns. He not only has a large frame that he uses to
get himself into perfect receiving position but he has excellent footwork and
runs precise routes. With all of those
elements factored, it's no wonder why he has averaged over 10 targets per game
since his rookie season, he's usually open. In this game, opportunity is
everything. Marshall provides fantasy
players with the comfort that they won't have a dud in the lineup. He usually
is the 5th or 6th off the board, fine by me, then he can be drafted in the 2nd
round to pair with an elite running back.
Alshon Jeffery came out of nowhere to explode on the scene
as a top ten fixture, nobody besides my buddy Ken Griggs saw it coming. Jeffery finished behind Marshall in receptions and touchdowns but outgained him
in yardage. That there, is a slight cause for concern because prior to last
season, Cutler had tunnel vision for Marshall. In the 10 games Cutler was the
QB, Jeffery amassed 3 touchdowns; in the six that McCown was qb, he scored 4. He
averaged 103.6 ypg with McCown, compared to 82.1 with Cut. Considering those numbers, I'd expect just a
slight drop off from last season's totals but still good enough to finish as a
high-end WR2, just not worth his current ADP of WR9
TE: Martellus
Bennett's ADP is TE12. There's enough passes being thrown for him to not be a
dud but doesn't provide much upside.
Def: Run defense was
dead last in the league. Stay away unless they show otherwise.
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