Week 1 didn't go as planned for the Chicago Bears offensively. Caleb Williams managed only 93 passing yards and prized WR D.J. Moore was held to just 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues.
However, Moore's fantasy stock is surging following the latest injury reports on fellow receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. According to Courtney Cronin of ESPN, head coach Matt Nagy told reporters that both Allen and Odunze will be game-time decisions against the Texans on Sunday Night Football.
Even if the two play, Moore should be locked in as a top-tier wideout in Week 2. Should one or both of Allen and Odunze miss the contest, the 27-year-old blossoming star becomes a top-10 play.
D.J. Moore Has the Outlook of a High-End WR1 in Fantasy Football Week 2
During Moore's first season in Chicago, he caught 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight TDs, all career highs. Even the most ardent Justin Fields believers understand that Williams is a better QB, so Moore could be expected to post similar production (or better). The Tennessee Titans smothered the Bears' offense in Week 1, but there are still reasons to be optimistic moving forward.
Offseason concerns that Allen and Odunze would siphon targets away from Moore were valid. They combined for 15 targets against Tennessee with Moore finishing second on the team with eight. However, this injury report suggests that Allen and Odunze would be limited if they do play, alleviating some of that concern.
The Texans allowed 26.9 PPR points per game to receivers in 2023, the sixth-worst mark in the NFL. We saw their leaky defense on display against the Colts last week, with Alec Pierce and Ashton Dulin both catching long TD passes from Anthony Richardson.
Moore made a living last season on deep passes. He's averaged 14.2 yards per catch over his seven-year career, and he had five different games in 2023 in which he averaged over 16 yards per reception. Provided the offensive line holds up, expect Williams to attempt multiple bombs to Moore in hopes of catching Houston's defense sleeping.
After a disappointing Week 1 last year in which Moore caught just two passes for 25 yards, he rebounded with six catches for 104 yards in Week 2. Especially if Allen and Odunze can't go or are limited, Moore should be a target vacuum for an offense that'll want to rid the stench of Week 1 as quickly as possible.
Fantasy football players can lock Moore in as a WR1 with confidence. The monster games are coming - maybe even as soon as this Sunday.
If you have questions about other players, don't set your lineup without first checking out Michael Fabiano's Week 2 PPR rankings for every position.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as D.J. Moore Could Have Massive Fantasy Performance With Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze Week 2 Injury Updates.
