When you consider the Chicago Bears franchise stretches back more than 100 years, it beggars belief that they’ve never had a 4,000-yard passer (Erik Kramer holds the record with 3,838 yards in 1995) or had someone throw 30 touchdown passes (Kramer threw 29 in ’95). Are the winds of change finally ready to blow in the Windy City?
If they aren’t, it won’t be from a lack of trying. After trading for wide receiver DJ Moore last year, general manager Ryan Pace spent the first overall pick on quarterback Caleb Williams and then the ninth selection on WR Rome Odunze. Seeking a veteran presence, the GM also worked out a deal for longtime Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen.
On paper, this is, by far, the best receivers room in the team’s history. It doesn’t end there, though, as the Bears also have a pair of solid tight ends in Cole Kmet (73-719-6 in 2023) and Gerald Everett (51-411-3 w/ LAC), and an accomplished pass catcher out of the backfield in running back D’Andre Swift, who has averaged 49 receptions per season in his career.
With so many options paired with a rookie triggerman, what can fantasy owners expect in 2024?
DJ Moore
While he may not have the name recognition of other top receivers around the NFL, make no mistake, Moore is a legitimate WR1. Even with the combination of QBs Justin Fields (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Tyson Bagent throwing him the ball, Moore still racked up 96 receptions, 1,364 yards (sixth in the NFL), and eight touchdowns.
Granted, Moore’s week-to-week production wasn’t quite at the level you’d like to see — he had eight games of less than 60 yards without a TD — but it’s easy to forgive when you realize how decrepit the rest of the passing game was. At 27, Moore is in his prime, and even with the additions of Allen and Odunze, he should remain the No. 1 option.
Keenan Allen
Despite missing four games a season ago, Allen still reached the 100-catch plateau for the fifth time in seven years while also racking up 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns. The 32-year-old is considered one of the great technicians in the league, often mentioned alongside Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams as the top route runners. He has great hands, a wealth of experience, and he provides the type of veteran presence and reliability that should be a great help to a young quarterback.
He has had issues staying healthy at times during his career, however, and that includes the past two campaigns where he’s been sidelined 11 times. Allen has also spent his entire career, professional and collegiate, playing in warm climates, so it’ll be interesting to see how his body, which has taken a lot of hits, responds once winter arrives in Chicago.
Rome Odunze
Odunze led all of college football in receiving with the Huskies last year, racking up 1,640 receiving yards in a season that concluded with a loss in the National Championship Game. The rookie has a great blend of size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) and speed, and he can move around the formation, lining up in the slot or outside.
Odunze is a genuine deep threat, and the fact that he’s joining another downfield weapon in Moore, who finished fourth in the NFL in receptions of more than 20 yards, means he could see single coverage. There figures to be a learning curve, however, and while playing alongside two established playmakers has its advantages, it may allow the Bears to use 2024 as more of a developmental year.
Fantasy football outlook
There’s a ton of talent here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions. Perhaps the biggest of which is how NFL-ready is Williams? And how much does new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron want to put on his plate? Rewind to 2021 and Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was a “generational” talent entering the NFL. His rookie numbers: 3,641 yards, 12 TDs, and 17 INTs. While Williams should outperform that, you can’t simply pencil in a rookie for 4,000 yards and 30-plus TDs.
The key here is how big the pie will be, and who will get the biggest slices. Moore holds the most value, checking in as a midrange/low-end WR2. Allen should be a volume threat, but durability concerns push him down to WR3 territory. Odunze can be targeted as your fourth receiver with risk/reward potential based on Allen’s health, but he’s more palatable as a fifth.
