Why You Should Hold On To Justin Fields… For Now
Justin Fields is a hot topic among fantasy football owners as week 3 draws near. The Chicago Bears’ quarterback is off to a rocky start through two weeks and many owners are debating whether or not to cut ties with Fields.
Yesterday, I wrote about how Fields is starting to be dropped, but that I don’t think it was the right time for that move. You might be wondering why I have that opinion, so let me fill you in.
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Some of the Numbers Behind Justin Fields’ Struggles
Through two games, Fields has thrown for 427 yards while completing just 60% of his passes. He’s thrown more interceptions (3) than touchdowns (2).
Fields usually makes up for his lack of passing yardage with rushing stats, but has just 62 rushing yards in two weeks. He’s scored one touchdown, but has also fumbled three times, losing one.
Fields has looked hesitant on the field, missing open receivers and instead panicking and running himself into sacks. He’s already been sacked 10 times.
Fields is simply not looking like he’s progressing in what is the start of his third NFL season, and many are wondering how much longer the Bears will give him to turn things around. Granted, Chicago has plenty of areas of need on its roster, but Fields is just 5-22 in 27 career starts. The team’s last win was on Oct. 24 of 2022.
Justin Fields Fantasy Football Outlook
From a fantasy perspective, our data shows Fields is still owned in 99% of leagues, and starting 78% of the time, so owners haven’t quite given up on him yet, but the belief in him is definitely dwindling fast.
Fields has dropped all the way down to 12th in our week 3 projections after being the seventh quarterback drafted this fall and going somewhere in the third round.
His high average draft position (ADP) is probably the biggest reason why I’m against dropping him this early in the season. The numbers definitely are not great, but it’s still a bit too early in the season to give up on him completely.
If you are truly ready to move on from Fields, I’d dangle him out in trades. Sure, his value is way lower than when you drafted him, but then at least you are getting something in return for him.
Fields is still fifth in our player ratings system and 50th overall with a score of 19.09. Looking at some of the players valued around him, I’d have a hard time believing any of them would trade those players for Fields, but it’s worth a shot.
What to do with Justin Fields if you Roster Him
Fields is currently being projected at just 151 passing yards on 14-of-23 passing for the team’s week 3 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Fields is set at 0.9 passing touchdowns and 0.9 interceptions. He also projected at 43 rushing yards and 0.4 touchdowns.
The Chiefs are near the middle of the league in passing yards allowed (469), but have allowed just one passing touchdown through two games. Kansas City has not picked off a pass yet. The team has yet to go up against a running quarterback, like Fields is.
Given Fields’ struggles so far, I’m against starting him this week. Your other quarterback option is probably a better one, unless it’s a quarterback ranked below 26 in our rankings.
Seeing as the game is in Kansas City, I see this as a perfect opportunity for owners to get a better read on Fields. The KC crowd is one of the loudest and rowdiest in the league and can rattle opposing teams and quarterbacks. Fields should be able to handle things as a third-year player in the league.
If Fields struggles for a third straight week, with a couple more turnovers and an inefficient passing game, then it’s probably time to cut ties with the quarterback. If he takes care of the ball and helps the offense move the ball up and down the field consistently, then he’s probably worth rostering for a couple more weeks.
I know it’s tough holding on to players that struggle early in the season, but in the cases where you spent a high draft pick on a player, you don’t want to cut ties too early and have that player help an opponent in the future. Be patient for at least one more week and then we can reassess.
