The Chicago Bears will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding TE Cole Kmet.
Is Cole Kmet Playing in Week 14?
Kmet is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Bears’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Cole Kmet in Week 14?
The target distribution patterns are starting to take shape in Chicago, and that’s not good news when it comes to managers hoping that Kmet can scratch across enough volume to matter.
Literally, anything in the world can happen one time. Outliers are a part of our game. If you remove the bizarre 10-target Week 12 loss to the Vikings, Kmet’s past five games have seen him turn 164 routes into 11 targets. That’s not going to get it done without high-end scoring equity, something that no one in this offense holds (KMet hasn’t scored since Chicago returned from London).
That outlier game against Minnesota is the only time since Week 3 in which Kmet earned more than five targets. Of the TEs on your waiver wire, most of them have a trait I trust. Be it the overall offensive environment, raw talent, or role — I’d argue that Kmet checks zero of those boxes.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 14 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Cole Kmet’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 14
As of Sunday morning, Kmet is projected to score 9.1 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.6 receptions for 37.4 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Seahawks' Defense
After three straight weeks of above-average grades, Seattle's defense has regressed in a pair of critical home losses to the Packers and Vikings. Week 16 brought a Defense+ grade of 73.2 (C-), which ranks ninth out of the Seahawks' 15 games played this season.
The Seahawks have boasted an above-average red-zone defense, ranking 13th in TD rate allowed. However, they gave up touchdowns on both of the Vikings’ trips to the red zone on Sunday, contributing to the team’s fifth-worst defensive EPA per dropback average (-0.11) of the season.
This comes a week after the Seahawks averaged their second-worst defensive EPA per dropback and pass success rate of the season in the Packers' loss.
While Mike Macdonald’s bold midseason personnel changes helped this unit make tremendous strides, it appears another offseason of evaluation and turnover is needed for the unit to thrive against the NFC’s best offenses.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Cole Kmet’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 AM ET on Wednesday, December 25. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 17 TE PPR Rankings
1) Brock Bowers | LV (at NO)
2) Trey McBride | ARI (at LAR)
3) Jonnu Smith | MIA (at CLE)
4) George Kittle | SF (vs. DET)
5) Sam LaPorta | DET (at SF)
6) David Njoku | CLE (vs. MIA)
7) Mark Andrews | BAL (at HOU)
8) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (vs. GB)
9) Travis Kelce | KC (at PIT)
10) Dalton Schultz | HOU (vs. BAL)
11) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. KC)
12) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (vs. NYJ)
13) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (at JAX)
14) Tucker Kraft | GB (at MIN)
15) Brenton Strange | JAX (vs. TEN)
16) Jake Ferguson | DAL (at PHI)
17) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. LAC)
18) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. LV)
19) Stone Smartt | LAC (at NE)
20) Zach Ertz | WAS (vs. ATL)
21) Kyle Pitts | ATL (at WAS)
22) Mike Gesicki | CIN (vs. DEN)
23) Cade Otton | TB (vs. CAR)
24) Noah Gray | KC (at PIT)
25) Isaiah Likely | BAL (at HOU)
26) Cole Kmet | CHI (vs. SEA)
27) Austin Hooper | NE (vs. LAC)
28) Grant Calcaterra | PHI (vs. DAL)
29) Noah Fant | SEA (at CHI)
30) Ja'Tavion Sanders | CAR (at TB)
31) Foster Moreau | NO (vs. LV)
32) Tyler Higbee | LAR (vs. ARI)
33) Michael Mayer | LV (at NO)
34) Tommy Tremble | CAR (at TB)
35) Daniel Bellinger | NYG (vs. IND)
36) Dawson Knox | BUF (vs. NYJ)
37) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (at BUF)
38) Payne Durham | TB (vs. CAR)
39) Jordan Akins | CLE (vs. MIA)
Seahawks at Bears Trends and Insight
Seattle Seahawks
Team: The Seahawks are 0-3 against the NFC North this season, allowing 27+ points in each of those losses (8-4 against everyone else with 27+ points allowed just three times).
QB: Geno Smith has been much more aggressive under pressure this season (8.1 aDOT) than last (6.4).
Offense: This Seattle offense was behind the eight-ball most of Week 16. Their average starting field position was their lowest of the year (their own 22.5-yard line).
Defense: The Seahawks allowed the Vikings to average 2.1 points per drive on Sunday, falling to 0-6 this season when they allow at least 1.9 points per drive.
Fantasy: All three of Kenneth Walker III’s career games with at least seven receptions have come this season (Weeks 5, 6, and 16). Fantasy managers can up his pass game projection in a significant way when you pencil in Seattle to lose – they are 1-9 when he sees at least five targets in a game.
Betting: Seattle has covered four straight road games, all coming by more than six points.
Chicago Bears
Team: The Bears have lost nine straight this season with a rookie QB. If they lose their final two games, that will run their total to 11 straight -- only twice in the 2000s has a team had a longer such streak in a single season (2017 Browns and 2001 Panthers)
QB: Caleb Williams has run for at least 27 yards in five of his past six games and has thrown for multiple scores in four of his past five (first 10 games: three multi-pass TD games)
Offense: The Bears averaged 39.4 yards of offense per drive on Sunday against the Lions, their second-highest rate of the season.
Defense: Chicago forced a punt on a season-low 10% of possessions last week against Detroit (three of their four lowest opponent punt rates have come since Week 11).
Fantasy: Williams has three games with 330+ passing yards and multiple passing scores – Andrew Luck is the only QB to have more such games as a rookie (four).
Betting: Overs are 8-4 in Chicago’s past 12 games played as an underdog on short rest