How to Cash in on Raiders and Bears

Uh, no, you shouldn't pick up Tyson Bagent in your fantasy football league.

For one, Bagent is unlikely to play more than a few weeks with Justin Fields hurt. If the entire thing becomes too big for the Division II QB, then it will be Nathan Peterman playing until Fields returns from his thumb injury.

Besides, if your team is that desperate for a starting quarterback to use the backup to Fields, then the season is over and it's time to formulate your strategy for next year.

Bagent might have a strong effort or surprise some people, but unless he's Brock Purdy good, then it's back to Justin Fields as soon as he can grip a ball properly.

In the meantime, this might be the week to look at other options regradless of whether you have Bears players or Raiders players on your team.

The Bears defense seems to be coming on and has become much more healthy, and the Raiders are starting a backup quarterback, too.

If you're that desperate for a starting QB to pick up, then Brian Hoyer would be the play because he has played in this Raiders offense with New England for his current coach, Josh McDaniels. He should be able to operate it sufficiently.

Then again, he's started 12 straight games without winning and that's for three teams.

Just look here for a few players to start and be through with what could be an ugly game along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Start 'Em

1. Raiders WR Davante Adams

Always the play, and don't be fooled by this Jaylon Johnson covering Adams like a glove routine. The Bears put Johnson on Adams all over the field against Green Bay in 2022 and he had 14 catches for 210 yards. Adams has made 10 TD catches against the Bears. Of course, this was with Aaron Rodgers as QB, but Hoyer should be able to do enough in that offense, based on his knowledge of it, to get the ball out to the No. 1 target a few times. He might even be more proficient at it than Jimmy Garoppolo was because Jimmy G hadn't played in the offense in a few years.

2. Bears WR DJ Moore

Bagent knows enough as an inexperienced QB to look for his main guy first. The Raiders will no doubt try double- even triple-teams on Moore, or every form of shading to his side of the field possible. Bagent will get it to him, though. He's much more likely to get it to his first read and to target only the first read, as a QB with little NFL passing experience. Moore has caught plenty of passes from all types of quarterbacks but it's easier to come down with catches against a passer throwing on time out of the pocket than to get it on a pass from a scrambling QB trying to buy time with his feet.

3. Raiders RB Josh Jacobs

Just a hunch but the slump ends here for Jacobs. The 2.9 yards a carry will start to climb now. The Bears have shut down two straight running teams, but before that the Broncos managed to get some healthy yardage on the ground and the Raiders will have seen this on film. The Bears defensive front has improved since early season but the combination of Jacobs with some very adept receivers will keep them from being focused on stopping last year's rushing champion and he'll make them pay.

4. Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers

The Bears ran up against Meyers last year in beating New England. He makes the occasional big catch but can sometimes have trouble hanging onto the ball. He's going to get Tyrique Stevenson in this one and it's possible he'll get behind the rookie as many other receivers have already done it. He has given up four TDs and a passer rating against of 140.7 when targeted.

5. Bears TE Cole Kmet

It's uncommon for Kmet to go more than one game with a low catch total, and last week's two receptions for 9 yards was a big step down from what he's been doing. He bounced back from two catches earlier this year with a seven-catch, 85-yard game against the Broncos. Raiders linebackers should have trouble handling Kmet. They're undersized for contending with a 6-6, 260-pound tight end.

6. Raiders TE Austin Hooper

He's been splitting targets with Mayer but Hoyer is far more likely to check it down to the tight ends. He is known as a Checkdown Charlie anyway. But Hooper has a knack for sitting in zones and getting catches. Also, the classic Patriots offense under Josh McDaniels made good use of two tight ends and that's what Hoyer, the former Patriots backup, will be taking advantage of in this game.

7. Raiders TE Michael Mayer

A successor to Kmet at Notre Dame, Mayer is just starting to get his bearings in the NFL and it's safe to think it continues. He has only eight catches but five came in the last game. Throwing against Jaquan Brisker hasn't been too difficult for teams and either the strong safety or linebacker Jack Sanborn could be matched up on Mayer.

Sit 'Em

1. Bears RB D'Onta Foreman

Some may have looked to him as a player to pick up in fantasy leagues because the injuries to Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert should have made it apparent the Bears had to go to someone else for rushing attempts. Foreman didn't do a bad job last week but the Vikings still had to be worried about Justin Fields running it last week. Now they can focus on Foreman and rush like they would against anyone else. The Raiders run defense is good enough to stop a back in a one-dimensional offense and the Bears should be rather one-dimensional. Besides that, Maxx Crosby is pretty adept at silencing running games as he is at doing it to passing games.

2. Bears WR Darnell Mooney

Just when you think he's out of the slump, he shuts right back down. A 39-yard catch last week and then not much was heard from him again. Tyson Bagent isn't going to get to his second read on many of the plays so Mooney won't get the chance at the ball.

3. Raiders QB Brian Hoyer

Hoyer's safe approach and efficiency are going to hold down the stats in this game, anyway, but knowing the Bears are using a rookie will lead the Raiders to be even more mindful of taking risks. They'll take the approach that they should play it close to the vest and let the Bears beat themselves. If Hoyer throws for 200 yards it would be a surprise. The Bears pass defense last week showed further improvement after doing a good many things right in the win over Washington.

4. Bears QB Tyson Bagent

Just getting through this one without getting injured might be a better goal for the rookie. With Crosby rushing against Wright and the Bears offensive line starting a new blocking mix, it's not likely they'll open many holes or block for very long against the rush. Bagent will be throwing away a lot of passes.

5. Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow

He's being mentioned around the league in rumors for a trade. He's also not getting as many targets with tight ends taking targets up in the middle of the field. Renfrow would be going against Kyler Gordon, who is more than a physical match for handling him.

6. Bears WR Tyler Scott

He's just not getting open and for enough targets to make him any kind of fantasy option for anyone. Scott has worked extensively in camp with Bagent, so he has that edge going. But it shouldn't be too big of a factor.

Defense

In a traditional league with team defense, the Raiders would not be a silly play because even if they just have an average game, they're going against a Division II passer who has never started a game. The Bears are trending up on defense and the Raiders have scored more than 18 points in a game once, but Chicago's success on defense is probably a few weeks into this revival away from being a target for fantasy owners.

In IDP leagues, Maxx Crosby is your guy here. He's going against Darnell Wright, and the rookie is coming off his least effective game. Wright quit on too many plays and especially with a QB like Justin Fields, this can lead to trouble.

The Betting Window

The Line: Raiders by 3 (over/under 37 1/2).

BearDigest Record: 3-3 overall, 3-3 ATS, 2-4 over/under.

BearDigest Pick: Raiders 17, Bears 10

NFL Best Bets

Record: 12-12-1

Last Week: 3-2

This Week:

Falcons +2 1/2 vs. Buccaneers

Bears and Raiders under 37 1/2

Chiefs -5 1/2 at Chargers

49ers -7 vs. Vikings

Lions +3 vs. Ravens

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven