Start or Sit'em in Fantasy Football: Bears vs. Lions

Fields is a possible fantasy star this weekend (Paul Rutherford - USA Today Sports)

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Fri Nov 11 19:00:07 GMT-05:00 2022

While the Bears may not have won against Miami, fantasy owners certainly did. Justin Fields went off scoring the most fantasy points out of any quarterback this past week. Darnell Mooney finally got his first touchdown of the season, while Cole Kmet had his best game of the season by far with a season-high five receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Chicago’s offensive productivity should continue to soar against the Detroit Lions this coming Sunday (12 p.m./FOX), which are giving up a league-worst 417.3 yards per game.

Justin Fields - Start

After how the second-year quarterback performed last week, how can you not start Justin Fields? Statistically, the Bears still have the worst passing offense in the NFL, averaging 125.7 passing yards per game. But, when the quarterback is also the leading rusher, the passing statistics do not matter as much. Furthermore, the Lions have the second-worst rushing defense, so it serves to reason that Fields will have a lot of opportunities to run the ball. He has put up solid numbers for fantasy owners since Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, so Fields has proven his consistency in fantasy.

Darnell Mooney - Start in Full Points Per Reception (FPPR) Leagues

If you are not getting any points per reception (PPR) or half a point per reception (HPPR), then you probably were not very happy with Mooney before the Miami Dolphins game. After his slow start, he is finally getting consistent production and more targets from Fields. In no PPR or HPPR leagues, Mooney does not have as much value since he is not having as much production with his receptions. He currently has a career-low of 3.6 yards per reception; he had 4.8 yards per reception in 2021. But, in FPPR leagues, Mooney has scored at least 12 points in four of his last six games. This is only true in one out of his previous six games in HPPR leagues and zero games for no PPR leagues since Mooney is still looking for his first 100-yard game of the season.

Cole Kmet - Start in Some Leagues

Right now, Kmet seems a little touchdown-dependent. However, he does have three touchdowns in the past two games. Sunday’s game against the Dolphins was the first game in Kmet’s three-year career that he scored multiple touchdowns. So, even with him being a little touchdown-dependent, he’s putting up the touchdowns now. Furthermore, Detroit’s passing offense is ranked No. 29, so this should give Kmet some opportunities to potentially get in the endzone.

Khalil Herbert - Start in Some Leagues

Herbert had a bit of a down week with only seven rushing attempts for 23 rushing yards while David Montgomery had 14 rushing attempts for 36 yards. While Montgomery has been consistently getting around 14 carries, this marked the first time Herbert had less than ten carries since Week 6 against the Washington Commanders. There are other running backs that perhaps are getting a little more consistent production. But, in 12-person leagues, someone like Herbert should still definitely be started despite the down week against the Dolphins. With the Lion's second-worst rushing defense, this should give Herbert some more opportunities.

Chase Claypool - Start

While the Bears’ new addition at wide receiver only had two receptions for 13 yards, he is still getting acclimated to the offense and the system. The Bears showed against Miami that they could get their playmakers the ball. Mooney finally had a good game and a touchdown, which should draw more attention to him by the Lions’ defense. Perhaps the attention to Mooney, and probably more attention to Kmet after his red zone scores will open up some opportunities for Claypool to get the ball more.

Cairo Santos - Start

Kickers have been rather inconsistent this year. Even though Santos only has 13 field goal attempts, he has yet to miss a field goal this season. Furthermore, the Lions are the worst scoring defense in the NFL, giving up an average of 29.3 points per game (the next closest team is the Arizona Cardinals, who are giving up an average of 26.8 points per game). While this means the Bears will have a lot of opportunities to get in the endzone, this should be promising news for Santos as he should get some chances to make some field goals. He is only averaging 8.1 fantasy points per week, so for those looking for a consistent kicker (particularly if you have Justin Tucker, who is on bye this week), Santos is a reliable person to start.