Bears Blitz

Published by Jake Perper on July 11, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Besides WR Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears receivers might not produce this fantasy football season.

Marshall ranks 12th according to FantasyPros.com, which ranks each player based off of a consensus of 69 experts.

The next best Bears receiver is rookie Alshon Jeffery at No. 56, then Earl Bennett at No. 79.

Devin Hester comes in at No. 94 and Dane Sanzenbacher sits at No.154 out of 159 wide receivers ranked.

Marshall is clearly a guy who will be selected in the second or third round of a standard fantasy football draft.

But no one besides him is really worth taking until maybe late in the draft. Earl Bennett had his weeks last year as well as Dane Sanzenbacher.

Am I saying draft them both? Certainly not.

I’m saying stay away from Bears receivers not named Brandon Marshall come draft time. They will disappoint more than please you in the fantasy football world.

Receivers

Alshon Jeffery: The rookie from South Carolina left college after his junior year. The second-round pick could develop nicely into the offense, but it might take some time. Not too many rookies perform at a high level during their first season. He might be someone you want to stash on your roster as a fifth or sixth receiver come draft day. His potential is through the roof, but its the question of consistency with him.

He could emerge late in the season.

Earl Bennett: He is the most consistent receiver on the team when healthy. Jay Cutler and Bennett have a special connection that dates back to their Vanderbilt days. He isn’t one to score a lot, but he can have big games. He added 14 receptions for 251 yards and one touchdown in a three-week span (Week 9-Week 11) last season. Look for him to battle for the No. 2 receiver spot with Devin Hester. You could do a lot worse than Bennett with your last receiver pick.

At the worst, he could be a fill in during a bye week.

Devin Hester: It’s always hard to predict what he will do on the offensive end. He will focus on kickoffs and punts for the most part, but the Bears have said they want to make a package for Hester. He had three games a season ago with 60+ yards, but he might not be fantasy relevant anymore because of Marshall, Bennett and tight end Kellen Davis who is likely to emerge as a weapon this season.

Like Bennett, Devin could be a fill in during a bye week.

Dane Sanzenbacher: The undrafted rookie out of Ohio State led all Bears receivers in touchdowns with three a year ago. He has been compared to Wes Welker often. He might not be consistent enough to be fantasy relevant, but as a fourth or fifth receiver, the Bears might have a gem for years to come.

Don’t be shocked to see him improve in his second season in the windy city.

Final Thoughts

The potential is there for all these receivers to have big games. The Bears definitely upgraded their receiving core this season by adding two receivers over 6’3″ in Marshall and Jefferey. Bennett, Hester and Sanzenbacher are all smaller targets with solid speed out the gate.

It’s certainly going to be hard to predict which receiver will perform well on a week-to-week basis besides Marshall.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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