Monday Night Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Bears vs Vikings

Week 14 Monday Night Football featured a great game between two teams not only competing for a divisional title, but also the top seed in the NFC. The Rams were able to ride an early offensive explosion and a dominating defensive effort from Aaron Donald to a seven-point victory, keeping them alive in the NFC West race. Matthew Stafford had a stellar game, passing for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper Kupp continued to be a fantasy star, finishing the game with 13 receptions on 15 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown. For Arizona, James Conner paced the offense with 13 carries for 31 yards and a touchdown along with nine receptions for 94 yards. This week’s game also features a divisional matchup, although it will be far less exciting. You can also check out the matchups analysis for:

• Raiders vs Browns Start Em, Sit Em - Monday Night
• Seahawks vs Rams Start Em, Sit Em - Tuesday Night
• Washington vs Eagles Start Em, Sit Em - Tuesday Night

The Minnesota Vikings will head to Chicago after a rollercoaster game against Pittsburgh last Thursday night. The Vikings raced out to a 29 point lead before squeaking out a 36-28 victory after the Steelers were unable to convert on a last-second touchdown. Minnesota’s passing attack is being paced by Kirk Cousins, who has quietly put together 3,569 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 13 games. Dalvin Cook is once again having a strong season, carrying the ball 198 times for 978 yards and six touchdowns while adding 28 receptions on 42 targets for 219 yards in just 10 games. Additionally, Justin Jefferson is pacing the offense after his amazing rookie season, catching 85 of 127 targets for 1,288 yards and eight touchdowns. An injury will likely force Adam Thielen to miss this week, but he has also added 10 receiving touchdowns on just 64 receptions.

On the other side of things, Chicago’s offense has been abysmal in what should be Matt Nagy’s last season as head coach. Thankfully for Bears fans, there have been excellent flashes from their rookie quarterback Justin Fields. On the surface, Fields has been pretty pedestrian this season, totaling just 1,585 passing yards and six touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He’s also added 65 carries for 385 yards and two touchdowns on the season. David Montgomery has paced Chicago’s backfield through nine games, carrying the ball 144 times for 608 yards and four touchdowns while adding 26 receptions on 31 targets for 193 yards. Chicago’s receiving corps is a mess, but Darnell Mooney leads the way with 52 receptions on 95 targets for 740 yards and three touchdowns.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

• Game time: Monday, December 20, at 8:15 p.m.
• Game line: Minnesota -5.5
• Game total: 44

Must Start

Kirk Cousins (QB, MIN)

There is always some risk in starting Kirk Cousins in a primetime game, but he is playing so well this season that it is hard to avoid getting him in your starting lineups. Since Week 8, Cousins is completing 64% of his passes and averaging 269 passing yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game. He’s got 10 games this season with multiple passing touchdowns. The Bears' defense is decimated by injuries and is allowing 19.4 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season, the third-most of any team in the NFL this year.

Justin Fields (QB, CHI)

Justin Fields has had an up and down rookie year, but his most recent stretch of starting games has been impressive. In his last four games, Field is averaging 17.32 fantasy points per game. Fields is completing just 58% of his passes during that stretch but has 769 passing yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. However, he’s been stellar as a rushing threat during those games, carrying the ball 31 times for 245 yards and a touchdown. Fields has game-breaking ability despite the lack of offensive talent around him and gets a shot at a fantasy defense allowing 19.1 fantasy points per game this season.

Dalvin Cook (RB, MIN)

Dalvin Cook went into Week 14 coming off a shoulder injury with questions surrounding his potential workload. All he did was turn 27 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns while adding a catch for 17 yards. Cook will now come into Week 15 with 10 full days of rest against a reeling Bears defense. Cook is an instant start every single week he is guaranteed to play, especially against a Bears defense allowing 18.3 fantasy points per game this season. Chicago should get Akiem Hicks back this week, but that doesn’t hinder Cooks' role in the offense, especially with Alexander Mattison on the COVID list.

David Montgomery (RB, CHI)

David Montgomery is getting an insane workload since returning from injury, cementing his status as a solid RB2 with RB1 upside based on volume. Since Week 10, Montgomery is averaging 15 carries and five targets per game. Additionally, Montgomery has seen immense growth in his passing game role the past two weeks. In Weeks 13 and 14, Montgomery has totaled 14 receptions on 16 targets for 90 yards. Allen Robinson was recently added to the COVID list, which should keep Montgomery as a focal point in the passing attack. The Vikings are allowing 19.4 fantasy points per game to running backs this season, the 10th most in the NFL this year.

Justin Jefferson (WR, MIN)

Justin Jefferson has gone nuclear since Adam Thielen went down with an injury. In his last two games, Jefferson has caught 18 of 29 targets for 261 yards and two touchdowns. In his last five games, Jefferson is averaging 11.8 targets and 7.8 receptions while finding the end zone four times. The second-year receiver is building upon his stellar rookie season and now gets a great matchup against an ailing Bears secondary. Chicago will likely have Jaylon Johnson shadowing Jefferson, which is a tough matchup, but one that a receiver with Jefferson’s talent can win. The Bears are allowing 25 points per game to wide receivers this season.

Darnell Mooney (WR, CHI)

Darnell Mooney had a terrible Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers, catching just one of his five targets for 19 yards. Despite the bad performance, Mooney is an excellent start given the high level of production he’s provided in fantasy in recent weeks. From Weeks 11 to 13, Mooney caught 15 of 31 targets for 271 yards and a touchdown. That includes consecutive games with five receptions and over 100 receiving yards against the Ravens and Lions. Mooney has operated as Chicago’s WR1 all season and has a fantastic matchup on the horizon against the worst defense in fantasy against wide receivers (29 fantasy points allowed per week).

Consider Sitting

Allen Robinson (WR, CHI)

Allen Robinson was added to the COVID list on Thursday, but even if he can get cleared before Monday’s game, he’s a tenuous start at best. Robinson caught two of six targets for just 14 yards. Robinson hasn’t had a game with more than six receptions since Week 1 and hasn’t scored since Week 2. The veteran receiver has just three games this season with more than 40 receiving yards. Robinson just isn’t a consistent factor in Chicago’s passing game and can be safely benched even if he’s active on Monday night.

Tyler Conklin (TE, MIN)

Tyler Conklin failed to have a major impact against the Steelers in Week 14. Conklin was targeted just twice, catching both passes for 20 yards. Conklin hasn’t been featured in the offense lately, even with the injury to Adam Thielen. In his last four games, Conklin has had fewer than four targets, four receptions, and 40 receiving yards three different times. The Bears have done great against tight ends this season (5.6 fantasy points per game), making Conklin a tough start this week.

Cole Kmet (TE, CHI)

Cole Kmet is getting a significant share of the targets on offense, but he is failing to do anything significant with it. Kmet has been targeted 23 times since Week 11 but has just 14 receptions for 123 yards during that stretch. Kmet hasn’t found the end zone during his second season either, giving him a low ceiling at the tight end position in the Bears’ offense. The Vikings have allowed just 6.3 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season and have started to get healthy on defense, making Kmet a low-upside play in Week 15.

Jimmy Graham (TE, CHI)

Jimmy Graham isn’t playing a significant number of snaps, but he does have a well-defined role in the red zone. Graham hasn’t played on more than 40% of the offensive plays in any game this season. He has found the end zone in two of his last three games but hasn’t had more than three targets or two receptions in any contest. Graham hasn’t eclipsed 10 receiving yards in either of his last two games, making him a completely touchdown-dependent tight end option. You’d be better off starting Conklin or Kmet in this game (or any number of tight ends across the league) than trying to catch lightning in the bottle with Graham in Week 15.  

Upside Plays

Jakeem Grant (WR, CHI)

Jakeem Grant has seen his role grow in the Bears’ offense the last two weeks. In Weeks 13 and 14, Grant has played in at least 47% of Chicago’s offensive snaps. He’s turned that into six receptions on 10 targets for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He’s added a touchdown on a punt return as well, which gives him a bit more upside than your typical wide receiver play. Grant is the definition of a boom or bust player, but in a week that is ravaged by COVID, he has the kind of upside you can gamble on given his explosive playmaking ability.

K.J. Osborn (WR, MIN)

The biggest beneficiary of Adam Thielen’s injury has been K.J. Osborn. The second-year receiver has had some solid moments this season but has seen his role solidify in the last two weeks. Osborn has seven receptions on 16 targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns while playing on at least 86% of the team’s snaps. Adam Thielen is unlikely to suit up this week, giving Osborn another week of an elevated snap share against a bad Bears secondary.

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