With head coach Ben Johnson joining the team, the Chicago Bears have spent all offseason maximizing their offense. While the team’s new receiving core should only boost quarterback Caleb Williams, fantasy football owners need to be cautious.
The Bears already had DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet on the roster. Then, they added tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden with their first two selections in the 2025. Opposing defenses will have a difficult time stopping all of Chicago’s options. But it may also be difficult for a single receiver to have consistent week-to-week success.
Field Yates of ESPN is a big believer in the Bears’ Williams-Johnson pairing. However, he isn’t a fan of Moore in fantasy football this season, naming the receiver his biggest bust candidate.
“DJ Moore is an excellent player who has shown himself to be a fantasy star. I’m bullish on QB Caleb Williams under Ben Johnson’s tutelage and think this offense could make a massive leap, but Moore’s outlook has me a little uneasy,” Yates wrote. “The Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III with their first two picks in the draft, adding two more pass-catchers to an offense that is already banking on a breakout year from second-year wideout Rome Odunze.”
“While it’s easy to imagine Moore taking on an Amon-Ra St. Brown role under Johnson, it’s also possible the offense just has more balance overall, à la Detroit in 2024 (when St. Brown was a slightly steadier weekly option),” Yates continued. “Moore and Williams didn’t build as seamless a chemistry as I expected last season.”
Reasons for DJ Moore fantasy football concern
The biggest red flag surrounding Moore is simply the amount of cooks in Chicago’s kitchen. Johnson is expected to bring a dynamic offense to the Windy City. But expecting all five pass-catching options to be weekly fantasy football stars may be a bit naive.
For any wide receiver on the Bears to shine, they’ll need Williams to take a massive step forward. Moore will need to continue developing his chemistry with the quarterback. But even in a rocky season for Williams, Moore still managed to lead the team with 140 targets, making 98 grabs for 966 yards and six touchdowns.
With all of Chicago’s additions, Moore’s ADP may be a bit ripe. Being the WR1 on a Johnson offense will have him with a high ranking in most league’s big board. As Johnson gets acclimated to the Bears and figures out how to use all the receiving weapons, perhaps Moore doesn’t live up to that hype.
But he is still poised to have a massive role in the offense. It may be a gamble, but Moore has proven he can be a true star when given the opportunity.
Ben Johnson brings passing prowess to Chicago Bears
It’s a bit unfair to directly compare Moore to Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown. They’re both completely different receivers and Johnson won’t use them the exact same. But at least for fantasy football purposes, it’s easy to see why Moore’s ADP is up based on the St. Brown comparison.
Serving as the WR1 in Johnson’s final season with the Lions, St. Brown caught 115 passes for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns. Moore getting that type of an opportunity would make him a star fantasy or not.
But even if the wide receiver isn’t given the St. Brown treatment, Johnson has proven he can scheme an overall strong passing attack. During the 2024 season, the Lions finished second in passing, averaging 263.2 yards per game. Johnson would need to move mountains for the Bears to take that kind of leap in year one. But assuming the pass game is much improved under the new head coach, Moore will be one of the biggest recipients.
Williams will be under a microscope all season as he looks to hit his No. 1 pick ceiling. But he can at least be confident that whenever he throws to Moore, the receiver has the potential to make a big play.
Chicago Bears QB Tyson Bagent defended Matt Eberflus
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