2007 NFL Fantasy Outlook: Chicago Bears

Daaaaaaaaaaa Bears. Bearssss. Ditka. Sausage. Ditka.

For those of you too young to know what I am doing, just roll with it, ok?

Ever since the Bears won the title in '86, Bears fans clamored for the glory days, and last year coach Lovie Smith brought them to the pinnacle. The problem is, Peyton Manning and the Colts stood in the way. And while the Bears made it to the "promised land", fantasy-wise, they still don't stack up to many other teams. Winning ugly couldn't be said any better. That said, let's see how things will "look" this year:

QB Rex Grossman--If there was a QB who was beaten to death by the media last year, it was Grossman. He won, but he did it without the numbers that most teams demand in a QB. While he has two sure handed receivers, he still seemed to throw to the other team as much as he did his own. Still, he was much better than the previous year, and if he can become consistent, he can certainly be a threat and a decent fantasy one--at best. If you're drafting him as your number one QB, the other owners in your league will thank you for your monetary donation.

RB Cedric Benson--some will argue that Benson is overhyped; I think he's actually the solution to what the Bears need in terms of a turn-and-burner. For years, they've had to rely upon workhorses that bull through the line. With Benson, they actually have someone that can turn the corner--and that could really open things up for the offense. With the Bears "run first" mentality, look for Benson to surprise.

TE Desmond Clark--this is a guy that you can grab late and get solid numbers from. While there are so many more upper level TEs that are better than Clark, you can avoid to get them and grab Clark and still feel good about your team.

WR Muhsin Muhammad--Muhammad is still the definitive #1 receiver for the Bears, the problem is that while he is a deep threat more than anything else, Grossman has accuracy problems beyond 20 yards. He can be a possession receiver, but with speedster Devin Hester and Bernard Berrian eating up several deep balls, his production will decline. Bank on it.

WR Bernard Berrian--On the other hand, Berrian is a sleeper in most drafts. Getting him as a number 2 or 3 receiver in mid-to-late rounds will give you a good player overall. While his numbers will be erratic, the games where he will do well will pay huge dividends. The question is--are you a good enough GM to forecast when those will happen?

The Bears are still a defensive team that wins by beating down opponents; the motto of simply "outscoring opponents" is an adage they truly live by, and for fantasy owners, that could spell disaster--but don't be totally avoidant of the team, because there are certainly some quality backups that could make a fantasy team sneak up on others.

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2007 NFL Fantasy Outlook: Chicago Bears

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