The Chicago Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, and unless you had receiver Allen Robinson on your roster, they weren’t to be counted on in your fantasy football lineup.
In ESPN’s 2020 fantasy football projections, Bears running backs Tarik Cohen and David Montgomery ranked 100th and 102nd, respectively, overall. By position, Cohen ranks 25th and Montgomery 26th among running backs.
After a solid 2018 season, Cohen’s production took a dip last year as Matt Nagy didn’t find a way to utilize him to the fullest. Cohen’s contributions in the passing game were most valuable, as he 79 receptions for 456 yards and three touchdowns. But his production on the ground really took a hit, as he had 64 carries for 213 yards.
Cohen returns as Chicago’s change-of-pace and extremely-busy receiving back. Believe it or not, Cohen ranks fourth among backs in both targets (261) and receptions (203) since entering the NFL in 2017. Cohen’s 190-pound frame has limited him to no more than 99 carries in a single season and a grand total of four carries inside the 5-yard line. However, 70-plus catches each of the past two seasons has helped him to fantasy finishes of 11th in 2018 and 27th in 2019. Cohen’s efficiency was extremely poor last season (3.3 YPC, 4.4 YPT), and he’ll remain limited as a rusher and at the goal line, but his role isn’t expected to change in 2020, which locks him into the PPR flex discussion.
ESPN projects Cohen will have a better year in 2020, and they even have him ranked higher than starting running back David Montgomery. They have Cohen tallying 69 carries for 291 yards with 4.2 yards per carry (up from 3.3 last season) and a score. They expect Cohen to have a big year in the passing game, where they project 72 receptions for 508 yards and two touchdowns.
Montgomery had a solid rookie season, but it wasn’t exactly what the Bears were hoping for. Then again, Montgomery didn’t get help from a struggling offensive line and some questionable play calling by Nagy. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.
Montgomery’s rookie season didn’t go as planned, but the 2019 third-round pick remains atop the Chicago depth chart. The Iowa State product wasn’t short on volume in his first season, ranking 12th among backs in touches and sixth in carries inside the 5 (14). The problem was a combination of poor rushing efficiency (3.7 YPC, 1.6 YAC) and a lack of volume and effectiveness as a pass-catcher (185 yards on 37 targets). The end result was two top-15 fantasy weeks and a 24th-place finish by season’s end. Montgomery will continue to defer passing-down work to Tarik Cohen but is certainly a breakout candidate in his second season. Montgomery is a flex option with RB2 upside.
ESPN projects Montgomery to have a higher fantasy value in 2020, although it’ll be more because of his versatility out of the backfield. They have Montgomery getting 212 carries (down from his 242 in 2019) for 849 yards (down from 889 last year) for six touchdowns (same as in 2019). But they have Montgomery getting more production in the passing game with 26 receptions for 215 yards and a score, although you figure Montgomery will be more involved with the passing game in 2020.
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