Bears Fantasy Outlook for Week 5: Should You Start Justin Fields, Khalil Herbert, D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet and More
The NFL week 5 Thursday night matchup between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders does not draw the same headlines as some of the previous Thursday games, but there still are a few players on each side of the field that are start worthy this coming week.
Let’s first take a look at the Bears, who come into the contest 0-4 after blowing a second half lead against the Denver Broncos in week 4.
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Justin Fields Fantasy Outlook
Fields is coming off his best game of the season. He completed 28-of-35 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns while being intercepted once.
Fields continued to struggle as a runner, going for just 25 yards on four attempts. He was sacked four times and lost a fumble.
After going up against the worst defense in the league in week 4, Fields will face another easier matchup in week 5 against the Commanders. Washington has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
The Bears are healthy on the offensive side of the ball, which helps Fields come in ninth in our week 5 quarterback rankings.
Khalil Herbert Fantasy Outlook
Herbert also produced his best game of the season against Denver in week 4. Herbert rushed 18 times for 103 yards. He added four catches on five targets in the passing game, going for an additional 19 yards and his first touchdown of the season.
Herbert still hasn’t reached 200 rushing yards for the season, but his 83 receiving yards keeps him safely above some of the team’s other options in the backfield. He’s played 53 more snaps than any other back, and gotten 19 more touches.
Herbert is ranked 23rd in our weekly projections, while backup Roschon Johnson is 37th.
D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney Fantasy Outlook
Moore and Mooney were the Bears’ top two receivers against Denver, and with Chase Claypool still away from the team, we’ll just discuss Moore and Mooney as potential fantasy options this week.
Moore caught eight of the nine passes thrown his way against Denver, accumulating 131 yards and a touchdown along the way. It was the most catches and yards for Moore in a game this season. It also marked the second week in a row with a touchdown.
Mooney broke a two-game streak of no catches with a four-catch, 51-yard yard performance against Denver. He put up a similar statline (with a touchdown added in) in week 1 before recording no catches on just one target in weeks 2 or 3.
The Commanders come into Thursday’s game with a slightly worse defense than Denver against opposing receivers. Wideouts are averaging 200 yards and 1.5 touchdowns a contest.
Moore is the 16th-ranked receiver for the upcoming week, while Mooney slots in 55th.
Cole Kmet Fantasy Outlook
Kmet enjoyed a breakout game of his own in week 4. He caught seven passes on nine total targets and went for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Kmet hadn’t topped 50 yards coming into the game, the touchdowns were also his first of the season.
While Denver struggles to defend opposing tight ends, Washington excels at it. The Commanders are actually the top defense against tight ends, with an average of just five fantasy points against them.
Kmet’s big game last week has him up to seventh in our week 5 rankings.
Bears’ Defense Fantasy Outlook
Chicago’s defense didn’t play all that well against Denver, allowing 311 total yards. The unit did not create a turnover and had just one sack.
For the season, the Bears only have two interceptions and no fumble recoveries. Chicago has a league low two sacks.
Washington has been a below average offense, with just over 300 total yards a game. The Commanders are averaging 22.3 points and have allowed a league high 24 sacks.
Chicago’s defense is ranked 14th in the projections going into week 5.
Cairo Santos Fantasy Outlook
Santos has been perfect this season, albeit in limited opportunities. He’s made all four of his field goal attempts and all seven extra points. Santos has made two field goals under 30 yards and two over 40 yards.
I expect this to be a fairly low-scoring contest, and if the Bears’ offense can carry over some of their success from last week, Santos might get a few chances at field goals. He’s ranked 24th in our projections though, and I’d avoid adding him for whoever else you are currently starting.
Who to Start in Week 5
I see a few potential starters on the Bears’ roster going into week 5.
After his solid performance last week, and up against another below average defense, Fields is start worthy again this week. There’s a few other options ranked below Fields in the projections that I like more, but I wouldn’t write Fields off just because of what he showed in weeks 1-3.
Herbert is a solid option this week, but again, there’s a good amount of backs above and below him in the projections that I like more. I think he has a solid chance of outperforming his projections, so I would lean toward starting him depending on what else you have available at your disposal.
Moore is the Bears’ No. 1 receiving option, and against the Commanders’ poor pass defense, I’d start him this week. I’d also consider Mooney looking at the matchup, with a pretty solid chance that he soars past his projections.
I’m skeptical about Kmet given the tough matchup on paper he faces. He’s still one of the best players at the position, so he might still be your best option. I’d lean against starting him if you have another decent option available, but also feel fairly safe in what he could accomplish after what he delivered a week ago.
Even in a low-scoring game, I would avoid starting the Bears’ defense and Santos. The defense hasn’t created enough big plays to feel safe, and the team’s offense has been inconsistent, so Santos might not even see the field for a field goal or extra point.
