Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Getting ready to face the Minnesota Vikings in a week two divisional matchup, the Chicago Bears are looking to build off of a comeback win in week one against the Cincinnati Bengals. In a brand new offense, quarterback Jay Cutler looked fantastic last week operating Marc Trestman’s playbook.
One of Cutler’s newer weapons stood out on a few occasions against the Bengals. Second-year pro wideout Alshon Jeffery is coming off of a rookie season in which he produced far less than the Bears expected him to. Against Cincinnati, he was targeted eight times and caught five passes for 42 yards.
To begin the year with five catches says a lot about Jeffery, who finished 2012 with 24 catches for 367 yards. If we were to play that all-too-familiar game that so many love to play, we’d say Jeffery is already on pace for 80 catches and nearly 700 yards this season, shattering his totals last year.
While it sounds ludicrous to make that prediction with 15 games to go, there is no doubt Jeffery will be a big part of the Bears’ offense. As Cutler looks more comfortable and continues to develop in yet another new offense, you will start to see Jeffery get more targets along with other guys not named Brandon Marshall.
Cutler will target a few more guys each game than just Marshall, something that 2012 did not see. Jeffery gives Chicago a legitimate number two option opposite of Marshall. Standing 6’3” and weighing nearly 220 pounds, Jeffery is yet another big target and both Cutler and Trestman love what he brings.
If you’re looking for an under-the-radar pickup in your fantasy league, Jeffery is definitely worth snatching up. The potential for this Bears offense, now with a much-improved offensive line, is as big as it’s ever been in recent years. Jeffery will far surpass his totals from last year, giving fantasy owners the satisfaction they thought would come a year ago.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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