Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 15, 2024, 8:20 ET
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Network: NBC
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: Sit, QB2
“Lisan al Caleb (for my Dune fans) is making his NFL debut, and he should not disappoint. ”
-Marco Enriquez (One Week Ago)
Ope — well, that was definitely a disappointing day for the number one overall pick. Caleb Williams looked nervous and out of sync with his receivers all game long. He showed some flashes of being able to use his legs, but not as often as he could. Williams is still looking to eclipse 100 passing yards, and while he should exceed that mark in Week 2, it is not getting leaps and bounds easier as the Bears face the Houston Texans. Now, without Rome Odunze for the next few weeks, we could see a majority of the targets funneled to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Williams falls to my QB13 this week. I would avoid him where you can until he is able to shake the rookie nerves and get on the same page with his veteran pass catchers. To ease some of the pain here, he had some dropped passes and miscommunications that he should be able to clean up without too much work. If he can get right this week, he could find himself back in QB1 territory in Week 3.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: Start, RB3/FLEX
D’Andre Swift was a victim of poor quarterback play and a dumbed-down vanilla offense in Week 1. I don’t love the odds of the offense getting too much more complex quite yet, so he finds himself as my RB25 this week. The hope is that he can eclipse the 11-touch mark he saw last week and that should be possible as long as he doesn’t become a victim of the game script once again. The Bears got off to a 17-0 deficit in the first half, which limited Swift early.
Wide Receiver
DJ Moore: Start, WR2
Keenan Allen: Start, WR2
With Rome Odunze spraining his MCL, DJ Moore and Keenan Allen should dominate targets in Week 2. The Texans secondary has some questions behind Derek Stingley Jr. which means we could get a bounce-back game for all of the pass catchers for the Bears. Moore and Allen combined for 19 targets in Week 1 and I would not be surprised to see them both eclipse double-digit targets this week. Keenan Allen dropped what should have been his first touchdown in a Bears uniform, and he was near the top of the league in target share, eclipsing 35%. He is the floor play of the duo, and DJ Moore is the ceiling option.
Tight End
Cole Kmet: Sit, TE2
With no Roschon Johnson blocking in the backfield, Cole Kmet was left to block more often than not in Week 1. Right now, Kmet is too unreliable to have it in lineups. If Roschon does get back on the field, Kmet could see an increase in usage, especially in the Redzone.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
CJ Stroud: Start, QB1
CJ Stroud lands as my QB8 for Week 2. He finished as the QB8 in Week 1 with over 200 passing yards and two touchdowns. He faces a better defense in Week 2 and one of the better secondaries in the NFL in the Bears, with an impressive 75% completion percentage; Stroud benefits from having a healthy offensive line, one of the best left tackles in the NFL, and three premier wide receivers.
Running Back
Joe Mixon: Start, RB2
In Week 1, Joe Mixon looked fantastic. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry, a number he has only eclipsed six times in his last 32 games. The improved offense and the incredible pace of play helped Mixon, as he carried the ball 30 times while adding three receptions. The interior of the Bears defensive line has some question marks that Mixon should be able to take advantage of. He should flirt with RB1 production landing as my RB14 on the week. The Bellcow role looks good on Mixon when he has an improved offensive line. He may have been one of the best values in the middle rounds of drafts this season.
Wide Receiver
Nico Collins: Start, WR2
Stefon Diggs: Start, WR3/FLEX
Tank Dell: FLEX Option
The Texans pass catchers all had their moments in Week 1, but Stefon Diggs stole the headlines, scoring two touchdowns in his first game as a Texan. The target pecking order shook out with Nico Collins with eight, Tank Dell with seven, and Diggs with six. I would not be surprised to see a very similar split in Week 2. The problem is that the Bears have Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon. I think all of the Texan’s ceilings are capped in this one, but the floors feel safer than most with a reliable quarterback and a solid offensive system.
Tight End
Dalton Schultz: Start, TE1
Dalton Schultz only saw three targets in Week 1 but could see some more room to work in Week 2. With the Bears’ impressive cornerback room, Schultz may have the easiest matchups of all the Texans pass catchers. I would not be surprised to see him hit paydirt in Week 2.