With Ben Johnson becoming head coach, the NFL world is predicting the Chicago Bears take a major step forward offensively in 2025. Getting deeper into OTAs, the fantasy football community is starting to take notice.
While quarterback Caleb Williams has gotten most of the buzz, running back is arguably the most valuable position in fantasy football. They’re the only skill position player guaranteed yardage, as a wide receiver or tight end could always have a zero-catch day.
Whoever is carrying the ball in Johnson’s offense will be highly coveted in fantasy. Which is why Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report thinks D’Andre Swift is an undervalued running back entering the 2025 campaign.
“Is Swift an elite talent? No. But the Bears made a major effort to rebuild the offensive line this offseason,” Davenport wrote. “Ben Johnson’s offense turned Jahmyr Gibbs into fantasy football’s highest-scoring running back a year ago. And the Bears didn’t add any significant pieces to the backfield this offseason—Swift should lead the team in backfield touches by a fair margin.
“Last year, on a Bears offense that was a hot mess, Swift was 19th in PPR points among running backs,” Davenport continued. “That could be closer to his floor in 2025 than his ceiling.”
Chicago Bears counting on D’Andre Swift
While the Bears can always dive back into the free agency pool, the names available all come with injury concerns. Furthermore, Chicago didn’t add a running back until the seventh-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As it stands, Swift is poised to carry a massive load in Johnson’s first year as a head coach.
During Swift’s debut with the Bears, he ran for 959 yards and six touchdowns on a career-high 253 carries. The near 1,000 yards is nice, but Swift averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. If he is going to maintain his RB1, the running back must be more efficient with his touches.
However, the Bears have completely rebuilt their offensive line. With three new faces along the interior, it should be easier for Swift to find the open hole.
Furthermore, Swift has experience playing under Johnson during their time on the Detroit Lions together. He proved to be a dual-threat weapon, running for 1,680 yards and 18 touchdowns while gaining 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns through the air.
The running back will need to once again show he can be a lethal force in the offense. But if he plays up to Johnson’s standards, Swift will certainly be a key fantasy football contributor.
Don’t forget about Kyle Monangai
The seventh-rounder Chicago added was Kyle Monangai of Rutgers. He’ll need to put together a strong showing in training camp to prove he deserves a spot on the roster, let alone a role in the offense. But Alex Kay of Bleacher Report thinks Monangai is up for the task and that he is a fantasy football sleeper in his own right.
“While he may not completely usurp D’Andre Swift as the RB1 in the Windy City, Monangai could start cutting into the starter’s workload and push the underwhelming Roschon Johnson for backup duties during training camp,” Kay wrote.”
“Considering his ADP of 271 (RB85), Monangai currently represents a fantastic value in the late rounds, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him rapidly ascend the rankings with a strong showing at OTAs,” he concluded.
Monangai fell in the draft due to his lack of size and underwhelming speed. However, no one is denying his run with Rutgers was more than impressive. Over his five years with the Scarlet Knights, he ran for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns. Monangai led the Big Ten with 1,262 rushing yards in 2023 and was named First-team All-Big Ten in 2024.
While the Bears were in need of a running back entering the draft, they didn’t just pick Monangai’s name out of a hat. He may be a seventh-rounder, but clearly Johnson and company see something in him. If he puts together a strong performance throughout the offseason program, perhaps Monangai can outplay his draft projections and see the field earlier than expected as a rookie.
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