Chicago Bears Fantasy Football: Should you draft Justin Fields?
By Nick Skrip
Looking back at how Justin Fields performed for the Chicago Bears in 2021
Following his 11th-overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Justin Fields appeared in 12 games last season as a rookie. Andy Dalton was the starter going into the season, and Fields was able to initially find playing time due to Dalton’s injury. As a whole, it is important to look at both the negatives and positives following a season for any player. Some of the negative marks on Fields’ performances include finishing with:
- 6.9 Yards Per Attempt (#20 for QBs)
- 62.8% True Completion Percentage (#33 for QBs)
- 26.0 QBR (#31 for QBs)
- 36 Sacks (#10 for QBs)
- 10 Interceptions (T-18th for QBs)
Negative marks can be attributed to the QB underperforming, but we should also factor in the playbook, coaching staff, receiving options, and offensive line. The offensive line, for example, graded out to be No. 22 following 2021. Now, what flashes did we see in 2021 on the positive side for fantasy?
- Week 8 vs. SF: 19/27 (70.4%) for 175 passing yards. TD/INT. 10 carries for 103 rushing yards and a rushing TD. 25.3 fantasy points (QB5 that week for fantasy)
- Week 9 @PIT: 17/29 (58.6%) for 291 passing yards. TD/INT. 8 carries for 45 rushing yards. 18.14 fantasy points (QB10 that week for fantasy)
- Week 14 @GB: 18/33 (54.5%) for 224 passing yards. 2 TD / 2 INT. 9 carries for 74 yards. 18.36 fantasy points (QB10 for fantasy that week)
- Week 15 vs. MIN: 26/39 (66.7%) for 285 passing yards. TD. 7 carries for 35 rushing yards. 16.9 fantasy points (QB10 for fantasy that week)
- 420 total rushing yards (#5 for QBs)
In the above game examples, I see positives in completion percentage (70.4%), passing yard totals (291), multiple passing TDs (2), rushing yard upside (103), and rushing TDs. Seeing flashes of Fields hitting multiple categories is encouraging. It is also encouraging to say that in four of the nine games he played above 70% of the snaps (aka a full game), he was a Top 10 fantasy QB. So the question stands – how do we approach Justin Fields for fantasy football?