- Falcons receiver Julio Jones is scheduled to be ready before training camp. That’s good news as Julio continues to be rated as a top-ten WR in dynasty leagues. He must stay healthy to stay there.
- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would like to see Julian Edelman back with the team in 2014. Dynasty owners of the free agent would to. New England is the only place where Edelman will retain his WR1 value in PPR dynasty leagues.
- Look for the Bears to upgrade on Michael Bush at running back in the off-season. While initially, it may seem like a bad move for Matt Forte owners to have a more capable backup, it may lead to Forte lasting longer.
- The Bills will hire a quarterbacks coach for the 2014 season in an effort to further along E.J. Manual’s progress. The Bills rolled without one last which was just one of the many issues the Bills offense had. The Chargers and Ken Whisenhunt are a good example of what happens when you hire a good offensive mind.
Tag Archives: matt forte
Dynasty Recap – Week 17 – Packers squeak by Bears, 33-28
- Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned and looked to be in mid-season form with 318 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He’ll be the top dynasty quarterback heading in to 2014.
- Bears running back Matt Forte finished his season with 110 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns along with four receptions for 47 yards and three total touchdowns. Behind LeSean McCoy and Jamaal Charles, there was no better running back in fantasy.
- Packers receiver Jordy Nelson loved his quarterback back with 10 catches for 161 yards on 16 targets. Nelson is a legit WR2 with Aaron Rodgers in the lineup.
Dynasty Recap – Week 15 – Bears upend Browns, 38-31
- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler came back and looked like his old, uneven self. Going 22 of 31 for 265 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, Cutler will return as a boom-or-bust option for the rest of this season.
- Bears running back Matt Forte continues his stellar season with 127 more yards rushing. He has over 1,000 yards rushing with a 4.6 YPC. He also has over 500 yards receiving. He’s a bona fide RB1 heading in to 2014.
- Browns safety Tashaun Gipson with eight tackles and two interceptions including a pick six. Teamed with fellow safety T.J Ward, who had nine tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, the Browns defense is solid heading in to 2014.
Dynasty Recap – Week 14 – Bears dominate Cowboys, 45-28
- Bears quarterback Josh McCown continues to impress going 27 of 36 for 348 yards and four touchdowns. It’s probably a stretch to envision McCown taking over the starting job but the Bears have to at least think about it,
- Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray had 18 carries for 146 yards. He might have had more if Dallas didn’t get blown out. Murray is a legit RB2 in dynasty circles for 2014. Just prepare for the inevitable injury.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Reliable Matt Forte ran for 102 yards and also caught seven passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. Forte was playing Dallas’ horrible defense but he’s proven time and again he’s a RB1 in dynasty circles.
Dynasty Fantasy Football – Week 12 – Rams beat up on Bears,
- Bears running back Matt Forte had another good outing with 77 yards rushing and seven catches for 40 yards. He also escaped what looked like could be a serious injury.
- The Rams running attacked looked impressive as well. Rookie Zac Stacy ran well again, taking 12 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. After getting concussed, Benny Cunningham tacked on 109 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. You’re looking at the Rams running back rotation for 2014.
- Bears receiver Brandon Marshall had a great day with 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Marshall is closing in on another 1,000 yard, 10 touchdown campaign.
- Rams rookie linebacker Alec Ogletree had a team-high 11 tackles with a pass defended. It was a nice bounce back game for Ogletree whose production tapered off in recent weeks.
- Rams defensive lineman Robert Quinn was a force with four tackles, a sack, a pass defended and a forced fumble then recovery then touchdown. Quinn is a legit DL1 in all formats.
Dynasty Recap – Week 9 – Bears beat Packers, 27-20
- Packers running back Eddie Lacy showed he could carry the load with 150 yards on 22 carries for a 6+ YPC. It’s good to see Lacy producing without Aaron Rodgers’ protection.
- Bears running back Matt Forte had 125 yards rushing to go along with 54 yards on five catches. Forte is having a lights-out season. The hope is he can keep it up for 2-3 years.
- Packers safety Morgan Burnett had 10 tackles to keep up a 100 tackle pace. Burnett had a pass defended to go along with it. After sitting out with injury the first month, Burnett has returned to form and should still be considered a DB1 in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty Recap – Week 6 – Bears escape Giants, 27-21
- Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery had one catch for 27 yards along with a 15 yard rush. Jeffery will be a boom-or-bust fantasy player with Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte on the team as there’s only one ball to go around. But he’s still a great dynasty stash as the 29-year old Marshall will have to move on at some point.
- Bears running back Matt Forte had over 100 total yards to go along with six catches. He would have had more yards but the Bears insist on keeping MIchael Bush, and his 1.8 YPC, involved. So frustrating.
- Meanwhile, the entire Giants offense continues to flounder. The exception was Brandon Jacobs and his 106 yards and touchdown. It won’t last folks. Trade him now if you can.
- One bright spot is Hakeem Nicks lead the team in targets with eight and it wasn’t even close. Maybe since their season is over they’re allowing Nicks to audition for his free agency. He’s a good buy-low candidate as he’s slated to land somewhere else, presumably with less competition, next year.
- Bears safety Major Wright had 11 more tackles to bring his season total to 45. He’s on pace for over 100 and is playing well just in time for his free agent year.
Dynasty Recap – Week 5 – Saints escape Bears, 26-18
- If you were late to the Alshon Jeffery party, don’t bother showing up. He’s not going anywhere in dynasty circles. And at 23, compared to Brandon Marshall’s 29, Jeffery could be the man very soon.
- Chicago running back Matt Forte has been a top three running back in fantasy this year. If you’re close to a championship. If you’re not, now’s the time to sell high. Forte is 27 and has worn a lot of tread off those tires.
- Saints rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro had another solid outing subbing in for Roman Harper. He filled up the state sheet with six tackles, one sack, and one pass defended. Vaccarro is a defensive back to watch for years to come with the Saints bend-not-break defense.
- Chicago veteran linebacker Lance Briggs had another stellar outing with 14 tackles, a sack, and three tackles for a loss. As mentioned in our recent PFF article, now may be the time to sell high on Briggs. The 32-year old is only under contract through 2014 and, depending on how Chicago finishes this year, big changes could be in store.
Dynasty Recap – Week 3 – Bears dominate Steelers, 40-23
- Statistically, the Steelers had a big night led by Antonio Brown’s 196 yards on nine receptions. Brown is, and will be, the best option Pittsburgh has in the passing game so he’ll continue to see looks. Ideally, another receiver could take the pressure off.
- On the Bears side, receiver Alshon Jeffery got just as many looks as Brandon Marshall, further proof that Jay Cutler is trying to spread the wealth. Chicago ran a balanced attack so every look Jeffery can get as the second receiver the better. He’s young and in a good offense but is blocked behind Brandon Marshall for attention. Don’t expect that to change much.
- Bears running back Matt Forte continues to be one of the most reliable backs around. Rushing for 87 yards on only 16 carries and catching four more balls, there’s not many other running backs who is as productive, even with Michael Bush taking goal-line touches away. Forte should be a low-end RB1 for 2-4 more years in dynasty leagues.
- Late breaking news says Le’Veon Bell should make his debut in week four. I’m sure the Steelers would love to hit the reset button about now. He’ll be better than anything else they’ve tried even if he’s at below 100%
Matt Forte to get more catches
One could argue that Matt Forte peaked in his rookie season. After all, he carried the ball (the cursed) 300+ times while setting career-highs in rushing yards (1,238), touchdowns (12), and receptions (63). He’s averaged right at 1,000 yards rushing since and has seen his receptions steadily drop to a career-low 44 last year. At 27, there’s been a lot of wear-and-tear on those tires but help may be on the way, at least for the short term.
With the addition of Marc Trestman as Head Coach, Forte should expect to see more routes and throws his way. Trestman’s offenses over 10 years as an offensive coordinate averaged 65 catches for the running back. With Jay Cutler at quarterback and an (allegedly) improved offensive line, Forte should have no problem matching his career high. But while the short-term looks bright, the added work should speed up the downhill arc of his career. Forte already has 1,200 carries through his first five years and has been nicked up in the past with a sprained MCL in 2011 and an ankle sprain in 2012. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Forte on your roster as a low-end RB1 or a high-end RB2 if you’re in win-now mode in 2013. But his shelf life at that level can’t be expected to be more than 2-3 years. Look to sell high after the next year or two.
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