Back and practicing with the team, there’s a good chance we’ll see Khalil Herbert activated off injured reserve in time for the Chicago Bears‘ matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. But which Bears running back should you pick to start on your fantasy football team? Let’s take a look at the outlook for each player this week.
Editor’s note: Herbert was not activated before the deadline and will not play on Thursday Night Football against the Panthers.
Should You Start Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, or Roschon Johnson This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that D’Onta Foreman is the player to start. His projected 8.2 points include 56 rushing yards, one reception, and two receiving yards.
That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projections for Roschon Johnson (6.7 points) as well as Herbert, who has yet to be listed in the optimizer for this week, likely because of his unknown status for Thursday.
My ranking for these three running backs aligns with the PFN Consensus Rankings, although Herbert’s return could make the fantasy outlook for each player ever-changing.
Fantasy Outlook for Herbert This Week
As mentioned, since he was a full participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday, it’s not unreasonable to expect Herbert to make his return to the lineup this week. Because of a high ankle sprain, Herbert has not played since Week 5 against the Washington Commanders, which ironically was also a Thursday night game.
At the time of his injury, Herbert was playing his best football of the season. He had his only 100-yard game of the year, finishing with 103 yards in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos. Then against Washington, he rushed for 76 yards and a season-high 7.6 yards a carry.
Despite averaging a career-high 10.2 rush attempts per game, even if he returns as expected, it’s hard to imagine Herbert getting all the carries with Foreman and Johnson having their moments in the backup role.
Fantasy Outlook for Foreman This Week
One of the problems facing the Bears in this soon-to-be-crowded backfield is the fact that Foreman has done a solid job replacing Herbert. Over his last four games, all as the starter, Foreman has averaged 67.8 rushing yards per game and has a pair of TD runs.
When healthy, Herbert is undoubtedly the man in the backfield for Chicago, but there’s a good chance that these two could split the time and carries for the matchup.
While he may not get the season-high 20 carries he had last week, Foreman has been producing too much to simply have him split time with Herbert, at least for this week.
Fantasy Outlook for Johnson This Week
The odd back out in this crowded backfield would appear to be Johnson. He only received two carries — six yards — in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. And since Chicago will likely welcome the return of their No. 1 back in Herbert, it’s difficult to see more than a carry or two from the rookie.
The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Johnson to finish with 35 yards with one catch for seven yards.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!