Taylor Gabriel (WR, CHI) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: The Bears are hard to trust in fantasy terms with Mitch Trubisky manning the QB position, but another week, another great--withing Chicago’s limits--performance by Taylor Gabriel. In a game in which Trubisky could only complete 10 passes for 125 yards, Gabriel completed a perfect performance in which he caught all three of the passes he was thrown and racked up 69 receiving yards for an average of 23 per reception. His longest catch, which went for 53 yards, led the team.

No receiver on the Bears topped six yards in Week 9, as only Gabriel and RBs David Montgomery (36) and Tarik Cohen (nine) bested that mark. Again, Chicago’s offense is ugly, but someone has to do something and other than the tailbacks and Allen Robinson there is not much in there other than Gabriel to produce weekly. Taylor Gabriel is having his second-best season ever in PPR-format leagues, averaging 10.2 points per game on an average of three receptions and four targets per game. He’s currently on back-to-back nine-point performances and already showed his ceiling in his massive Week 3 game against Washington (six receptions for 75 yards and three TDs, 32.2 fantasy points).

With Chicago having already rested its bye week, Gabriel should be a good long-term addition in deeper leagues. The Bears have a tough fantasy-playoffs schedule, but face the 22nd, 14th, 31st, and 22nd-best teams in points allowed to WR this season (that is, three favorable matchups and the second-worst team overall at it). It is hard to picture Chicago benching Trubisky for Chase Daniel again, but if that is the case Gabriel might even raise both his floor and ceiling even more. Consider Gabriel a reasonably good option to play at your Flex spot at least in weeks 10, 12, and 13 taking advantage of the matchups.