DJ Moore will be the Chicago Bears best fantasy WR since Brandon Marshall
One of the stories of the NFL offseason was the sweepstakes for the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. Ryan Poles pulled off an incredible deal, wresting the Carolina Panthers' top receiver away, plus a bevy of draft picks to fortify one of the most talent-poor rosters in the NFL.
D.J. Moore has lived up to the hype thus far, establishing an instant rapport with Justin Fields while flashing playmaking ability all over the field. Though Moore will undoubtedly have an enormous impact on the Bears' offense this year, his fantasy impact could be just as immense.
Moore is currently being drafted as the 25th receiver and the 58th player overall, but there are few other receivers in that range that can claim to be their team's clear-cut top option.
Moore finished 2022 with 63 catches for 888 yards and seven touchdowns, good for 199.1 PPR points. This left him as the 24th-ranked wide receiver, a feat he accomplished with a Carolina quarterback room that rivaled the Bears' wide receivers as the league's most underwhelming position group.
Baker Mayfield, P.J. Walker, and Sam Darnold had such a rough season that it inspired the Panthers to trade for the #1 pick and draft Bryce Young out of Alabama. Justin Fields is the unquestioned man in Chicago, so Moore will have a level of continuity he could only dream about last year.
Now armed with a quarterback that has the arm to get him the ball downfield and a team that valued him enough to demand his inclusion in the offseason's biggest trade, Moore figures to take a leap forward in productivity this year. Despite this, he is being drafted behind other receivers in far worse situations.
Christian Watson has Jordan Love throwing to him, and are we sure that he can be a true #1? DeAndre Hopkins is another year older, on a new team, and the Titans aren't known for their love of the forward pass. Chris Godwin shares top billing with Mike Evans, and Tom Brady isn't walking through that door. Presumed Bucs starter Baker Mayfield has had issues gelling with wide receivers in the past (hello Odell Beckham). Diontae Johnson has George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth breathing down his neck, and he caught zero touchdowns last year.
The only conceivable reason that Moore is ranked this low is that the public doesn't have faith in Justin Fields as a passer, but even if Fields struggles, Moore is going to get the ball early and often, and it can't possibly be as bad as it was in Carolina last year. If Fields makes the leap, Moore is the only player in his ADP range with the upside to be a top-5 receiver.