The backfield for the Chicago Bears has been muddy all season. It’s been a carousel of different leading men seemingly every single week with Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and D’Onta Foreman.
Now, it’s the final game of the season. Will the Bears lean into a committee approach to attempt to play spoiler against the Green Bay Packers? Or will they go back to having a primary back in Herbert? If that is the route Chicago takes, Herbert has been battling injury — will he be able to take the field this week?
Is Khalil Herbert Going To Play Week 18?
Editor’s note: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Herbert is expected to play in Week 18.
After missing Weeks 6-10 due to injury, Herbert returned in Week 11 and had trouble finding his groove. During his first four weeks back on the field, he did not finish better than the RB37 from a fantasy standpoint.
However, Herbert has been much better over the last two weeks, rushing for over 100 yards and finding the end zone in each game.
The season is over for the Bears after Week 18, even though the team has been showing substantial improvement over the last month. Pride is what is motivating Chicago in Week 18, and it is uncertain if that is enough to get Herbert on the field. In addition, Herbert has been dealing with an injury.
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He is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a back injury and a personal matter. He was limited in practice on Thursday, but then missed practice entirely on Friday, putting his status for Week 18 in doubt.
It is entirely up in the air if Herbert will play on Sunday. The Bears seem motivated to be the team that ruins the Packers’ playoff dreams, so I think if Herbert is physically able to play, he will.
Fantasy managers need to keep their eye on the injury updates that are released 90 minutes before game time to see if Herbert is suiting up.
Potential Fantasy Options If Herbert Is Out Include Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman
If Herbert doesn’t play in Week 18, it will come down once again to Johnson and Foreman in the backfield. Johnson had a solid Week 17, finishing with 59 all-purpose yards and one TD. He has shown that if he is called on to step up, he is capable.
Foreman is another solid option for Chicago, but he has had two healthy scratches in a row, as he and the team seem to have some unspoken issues. He might have played his last game for the Bears if you dig deep on his social media. Reading the tea leaves, if you need a pivot for Herbert, the best guy for fantasy would be Johnson.
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