Windy City Gridiron
With the fantasy season upon us, draft preps ramping up and most fantasy drafts underway or will be soon, self proclaimed “Fantasy Head” Bryan Orenchuk and WCG’s official Fantasy Guru Jack R Solo touch on the top ten Chicago Bears for this upcoming fantasy season. Starting off with numbers 10-7. The last week of preseason could certainly alter some here, but for now – these are the guys to consider targeting for Chicago. Jack and Bryan have included the rankings from ESPN, Fantasy Pros, Yahoo! and NFL.com for your reference. Enjoy.
10. Kyle Monangai (ESPN – NR – 50, Fantasy Pros – RB65, Yahoo! – RB68, NFL.com – RB70)
1. What they love:
Bryan Orenchuk: I love that he was the only RB addition for the Chicago Bears this off-season and that he came from the B1G Ten where he had an ultra productive career; rushing for over 3k yards, averaged nearly 5 ypc and had 27 rushing TD’s.
Jack R Salo: I love that he can be a volume back if he earns the backup running back spot and Swift has to miss any time this year. Monangai rushed for 1200+ yards in each of his last two seasons with Rutgers, with 240+ carries each year. The Bears can pound the rock with him, which would just make him touchdown-dependent for solid fantasy production.
2. What they like:
Bryan Orenchuk: I like his chances at seeing the field, even if Swift and RoJo stay healthy. He seems to have already surpassed Travis Homer on the depth chart and should be a solid change of pace back or “pitch hitter” throughout the season.
Jack R Salo: I like his ability to fall forward, which will continue to earn the trust of coaches for regular season games. Extended Bears drives with Monangai on the field could lead to more chances to break one open, so Monangai could see increased production as the weather gets colder.
3. What they worry about:
Bryan Orenchuk: I worry about his ability in the passing game, both as a blocker and receiver out of the backfield. If he fails to improve upon his first pro action and step up as a blocker like he showed the ability to do in college, he is less likely to see the field at all and when he does, it will be easier for defenses to key-in on him as more of a one-dimensional weapon.
Jack R Salo: 24 games played in his last two seasons in college, and only 22 receptions. In PPR leagues, managers will want to stay away from running backs down the depth chart who aren’t known for catching passes out of the backfield. That’s not to say Monangai can’t do it, just that we haven’t seen it yet.
4. Draftable?:
Bryan Orenchuk: In redraft leagues, Monangai is a handcuff, most likely for those who have Swift, though the preferred handcuff is ahead of him on this list. In dynasty, he is absolutely worth a mid-late...
