Zach Miller is the Only Bear With a Decent Matchup This Week, Boom-or-Bust TE1 This Week

With the Bears traveling to face a tough Giants' defense this Sunday without top receiving option Alshon Jeffery (suspension) and quarterback Jay Cutler struggling hard, there's not much sunshine on the horizon for anyone counting on a receiver on this team. Except tight end Zach Miller. The Giants are a middle-of-the-road tight end defense on... Read More

Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson to See Target Bump, Bad Matchup and Quarterback Make it a Wash

Wide receivers Eddie Royal, fresh off his first game in a while, and Marquess Wilson, fresh from the injured reserve, have each been bumped up a seat in the Bears' receiving core. With fellow receiver Alshon Jeffery suspended for the next four games, quarterback Jay Cutler has no choice but to rely more on his... Read More

Cameron Meredith Seems Most Likely to Step Up in Jeffery's Absence, Still Need to See to Believe

After star wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was suspended for the next four games earlier this week, one of the loudest questions to follow was, "who will step up and receive his targets?" On paper, it looks like that person will be Cameron Meredith, a man who looked like a growing asset under quarterback Brian Hoyer... Read More

Jay Cutler in an Impossible Situation to Succeed, Hard to Expect Results Any Week Going Forward

Quarterback Jay Cutler is in a bad relationship and is stuck suffering through it. The Bears have made it clear multiple times this season that they not only are ready to move on but are actively looking and trying out new suitors. Couple that with Cutler's struggles and you have a dead inside relationship. It's... Read More

Week 11 Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups: PPR Leagues

Welcome, welcome, RotoBallers. Please join me for my deeper PPR league sleepers column for Week 11 of the NFL season. In this weekly article, we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for PPR leagues and target players who could help out your team in the upcoming week. The following waiver wire suggestions for... Read More

The Cut List (Week 11): Players To Consider Cutting Bait On

Welcome to Week 11's edition of The Cut List, RotoBaller's weekly column filled with advice on who is fat to be trimmed from your roster and who deserves a little more time on your plate. Each player receives both statistical and social media analysis, providing both real and ridiculous reasons why we--Tony Peters and Ben... Read More

Alshon Jeffery Suspended Four Games for PEDs, Droppable in Shallow Leagues

How do you take a bad situation and make it worse? Well, in wide receiver Alshon Jeffery's case, you get popped for performance-enhancing drugs. The NFL announced just now that the Bears' franchise face is going to miss the next four games, leaving him unable to return until Week 15. But with the team unable... Read More

Connor Barth Connects on 54-Yard Field Goal Attempt, Kept Quiet Amidst Bears' Bad Day

Kicker Connor Barth wasn't given many chances to do anything Sunday as the Bears' offense struggled all day against the Buccaneers as the team lost 36-10. He made his only field goal, a 54-yarder in the first quarter, and his only extra point chance to give him four points on the day. Barth has been... Read More

Zach Miller Fails to Turn Targets Into Gold, Coming Up Short Too Often to be More Than a TE2

Tight end Zach Miller's production took a step back after a solid Week 9 as the Bears' were pitiful Sunday, losing 36-10 to the Buccaneers. He caught 4-of-7 targets for 32 yards against a defense allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends on the year. Miller now has six games this season where he... Read More

Jordan Howard Rushes for 100 Yards, Injury Opens Door for Jeremy Langford's Return

When it rains, it pours. In one of the Bears' worst games of the season Sunday, rookie running back Jordan Howard was a shining star in a sky of empty space. Keyword "was" as he left the game with a possible Achilles' injury according to head coach John Fox. He left having rushed 15 times... Read More

Alshon Jeffery Right Back to Fantasy Oblivion, Don't Expect Second Half Recovery

Yelp. Just when it seemed like wide receiver Alshon Jeffery may finally be freed of his fantasy value jail, that door was swiftly slammed shut in the Bears' 36-10 loss to the Buccaneers Sunday. He caught 4-of-9 targets for 47 yards as Cutler's predictable usage of Jeffery allowed the Bucs' pass defense to actually look... Read More

Cameron Meredith and Eddie Royal Each Catch a Single Ball, Trending Down as Bears' Passing Woes Continue

Wide receivers Cameron Meredith and Eddie Royal are swirling down the fantasy toilet as the Bears' passing game has gone from meh to awful as fast as you can picture quarterback Jay Cutler smugly smoking a cigarette. In Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Buccaneers, the Bears' made a team allowing the most fantasy points to... Read More

Jay Cutler Undersells His Awfulness Sunday, Passing Game a Predictable Disaster Post-Brian Hoyer

Quarterback Jay Cutler took a soft matchup against the Buccaneers' Sunday and made it look like one of the toughest of the year, something he undersold post-game when he said, "I didn't play well." He completed 16-of-30 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. To be fair, 50 of those yards and the... Read More

Mike Napoli Rewards Indians and Fantasy Owners With Big Comeback Year, Will Come Back to Earth in 2017

First baseman Mike Napoli looked to be on his way out of the game sooner rather than later after 2015, but wow, was that ever wrong. Not only did he survive all season, he set new career-highs in home runs with 34, runs scored with 92 and RBI with 101 while hitting .239. Not all... Read More

Carlos Santana Smashes His Way to a New Career-High in Home Runs, Next Home Important to Fantasy Value

Designated Hitter Carlos Santana picked a great time to have his best season yet as he heads into free agency on a high note. After disappointing in 2015, he came back with a vengeance in 2016, hitting .259 with 34 home runs, 87 RBI and five stolen bases. Santana was consistent throughout the season as... Read More

Tyler Naquin Has Huge Rookie Season, Don't Go Overboard on Draft Day

Rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin wasn't expected to provide much production as part of a platoon in center field to start the season after winning a spot on the roster with a hot spring. But he not only did that, he was able to help the Indians' outfield outproduce most of the other outfielder tandems around... Read More

Lonnie Chisenhall Improved Enough to Keep Roster Spot, Still Only a Deep League Option

Outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall had one epic meltdown in Spring Training this year, failing to collect a hit for nearly a month before going on the disabled list to start the season. But when he came back, he was able to put together a solid, though unspectacular, season, hitting .286 with eight home runs, 57 RBI... Read More

Michael Brantley Suffers Through Lost Season, Still Young Enough to Recover Fantasy Relevance

Outfielder Michael Brantley seemed poised to hit the ground running in 2016 after a shoulder injury cost him the end of 2015. Instead, that shoulder injury didn't heal right, something not made better by his overeagerness to return to the field. What we all ended up with was only 39 at-bats from Brantley as he... Read More

Jose Ramirez Breaks Out In 2016, Expect Similar Results But Some Regression

Infielder Jose Ramirez was able to break out in 2016, cementing himself as a building block in the Indians' plans for the future. While picking up time at shortstop, third base, and the outfield, he hit .312 with 11 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 618 at-bats, easily setting a new benchmark... Read More

Francisco Lindor Knows Nothing of the Sophmore Slump, Truly a Fantasy All-Star

There ended up being no point in being skeptical about shortstop Francisco Lindor's ability to avoid growing pains in 2016 as he spent the year proving he is one of the top young fantasy stars. Over 604 at-bats this season, he hit .301 with 15 home runs, 99 runs scored, 78 RBI and 19 stolen... Read More

Jason Kipnis Sets New Career-High in Home Runs, Re-Established His Fantasy Dominance

Second baseman Jason Kipnis had one of the best years of his career in 2016 as he re-established himself as one of the top second basemen in fantasy baseball. He finished the year hitting .275 with 23 home runs, 91 runs scored, 82 RBI and 15 stolen bases, with the home runs and runs scored... Read More

Yan Gomes Struggles Through His Worst Season as a Pro, Fantasy Value On Life Support

Catcher Yan Gomes suffered through his worst season as a pro in 2016 as injuries and ineffectiveness ruined his year. He finished the year hitting .167 with nine home runs and 34 RBI over 251 at-bats, helping to give the Indians' one of the worst offensive catcher units in the game. Gomes was already coming... Read More

Josh Tomlin Rock Solid Most of the Season, August Meltdown Likely to Deflate Draft Day Price

Starting pitcher Josh Tomlin had one awesome season in his pocket until an August meltdown derailed everything. He went into August 11-3 with a 3.43 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 120.2 innings. But then the wheels fell off and he went 0-5 with an 11.48 ERA over his next six starts, costing him his rotation... Read More

Danny Salazar Unable to Keep the Good Times Rolling Throughout 2016, Hoping For Better Luck in 2017

Starting pitcher Danny Salazar was looking like a Cy Young Award contender when the first half of 2016 came to a close, going into the All-Star Break with a 10-3 record, 2.75 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 through 17 starts and 104.2 innings. But injuries and ineffectiveness turned his second half into a disaster,... Read More

Andrew Miller Excels as Indians' Setup Man, Will Be One of 2017's Most Valuable Handcuffs

Relief pitcher Andrew Miller lost quite a bit of his fantasy value in 2016 following his trade from the Yankees to the Indians and 2017 isn't likely to restore his closer status. Setting up for closer Cody Allen, he went 4-0 with 1.55 ERA 14.3 K/9 and three saves in 29 innings. All told, he... Read More

Corey Kluber From 2014 Returned in 2016, Top Option Going Into 2017

Starting pitcher Corey Kluber was able to rebound from a slightly disappointing 2015 this season, returning to the 2014 form that made him a fantasy darling overnight. He finished the year going 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 over 215 innings, putting him in contention for the Cy Young Award. While... Read More

Carlos Carrasco Fought Off Injuries All Season, Looking Towards a Healthy 2017

Starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco was well on his way to surpassing the numbers he put up in his breakout 2015 season, but a freak hand injury ended his season in September. This after he missed time earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, giving him 54 days spent on the disabled list in 2016.... Read More

Trevor Bauer Still a Fantasy Enigma, Slowing Trending Back in the Right Direction

Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer was brilliant for stretches of 2016, but at the end of the day, still couldn't put it all together. After a brutal April he spent in the bullpen, he was fantastic in May and June, going 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 7.9 K/9 in 75 innings over 11 starts. But... Read More

Cody Allen Overcomes Poor Start To Put Up Another Solid Year, Still the Team's Closer for 2017

Closer Cody Allen had a rough 2016, but you wouldn't know it just by taking a look at his stats. He finished the year 3-5 with a 2.51 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.5 K/9 and 32 saves, which isn't all that out of line with his 2015 season. But his year-long owners aren't likely to forget... Read More

Connor Barth Appears Over His Missing Ways, Draws Decent Fantasy Matchup Week 10

Kicker Connor Barth was looking to be on his way out of Chicago after missing more than his fair share of field goals to start the season. But going into the team's Week 10 matchup against the Buccaneers, he hasn't missed a field goal in three weeks. With quarterback Jay Cutler back under center and... Read More