The Chicago Bears are coming off a tough 2016 season where the the Bears went 3-13 and finished in last place in the NFC North. The Bears have had several rough season over the last decade. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010. Last season they dealt with several key injuries to there skilled position players. Below is the Chicago Bears 2016 fantasy football recap.
Chicago Bears 2016 Fantasy Football Recap
Quarterback
The Bears had three different starting quarterback last season which was due to the fact that they kept going down with injuries. Long time Bears quarterback Jay Cutler started off the season as the starter but was injured in week two. He would come back in eight and play in three more games in 2016. Cutler finished with 1059 passing yards with only four touchdowns and five interceptions. He finished the season with 44 total fantasy points, averaging only nine fantasy points per game. Cutler was released by the Bears this off-season and has yet to sign with another team.
The next starting quarterback for the Bears was another veteran Brian Hoyer. He would start in the next five games for the bears. He passed for 1445 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Hoyer totaled 77 fantasy points and averaged 18 fantasy points in the games that he started and finished last season. He was injured in week seven and was out for the rest of the season. Hoyer has since left the Bears and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. If he wins the starting job for the 49ers he could be an interesting bye week quarterback in 2017.
The quarterback that finished out the season was Matt Barkley who played in the last six games of the season. He totaled 1611 yards with eight touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Barkley finished with 67 fantasy points and averaged 11 fantasy points per game last season. He has also signed with the 49ers and will compete for the starting job in 2017.
Running Back
The Bears starting running back was rookie Jordan Howard out of the University of Indiana. Howard started the season as the back up running back behind Jeremy Langford. He showed what he could do in week three when he got 13 touches for 92 yards. Howard was named the starter and ran away with it. He totaled 1613 yards with seven touchdowns. Howard totaled 189 fantasy points averaging around 12 fantasy per game. He finished the season as the ninth ranked running back in fantasy. Howard is a top ten running back and is worth a late first round pick in next seasons drafts.
Wide Receiver
The leading wide receiver for the Bears was Cameron Meredith with 894 yards with four touchdowns. He totaled 107 fantasy points and averaged around six and a half points per game. Meredith was a high upside flex throughout the season. However he was a little of a boom or bust with five games of four or fewer fantasy points per game. He finished the season strong averaging over 11 fantasy points per game in his last five games of the season. Meredith is worth a late round flier in next seasons drafts.
The next leading receiver was veteran Alshon Jeffery 821 yards and only two touchdowns. He finished the season with only 89 fantasy points averaging around seven and a half points per game. Jeffery was suspended for four games last season and also dealt with a few injuries throughout the season. He was a free agent this season and has signed a one year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jeffery should be a solid wide receiver one next season if he can stay healthy. He can be targeted around the third round in next seasons drafts.
Tight End
The Bears tight end was veteran Zach Miller who had 486 yards and four touchdowns. Miller was a decent tight end for fantasy owners before he got injured in week 11 and was out for the rest of the season. Before being injured he totaled 69 fantasy points averaging around seven points per game. He is a decent tight end for fantasy owners who wait on tight ends in drafts. He is worth a late round draft pick in next seasons drafts.
Kicker
Conner Barth was the one handling the kicking duties for the bears last season. He made 18 of 23 field goals and 30 extra points. Barth totaled 85 fantasy points and averaged around six points per game. He finished as the 28th ranked kicker in fantasy last season.
Defense
The Bears have long been known for there defense but last season was a different story. There defense was one of those fantasy owners looked forward to and targeted. They finished the season with 66 fantasy points points averaging only four points per game. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere for there defense next season.
The Chicago Bears are one of the most historic NFL franchises but have struggled throughout the last few season. The Bears have already started cleaning house and started rebuilding. They signed qaurterback Mike Glennon to a multi year deal and several new wide receivers. It should be a interesting 2017 for the Bears.
