Key Aspects of Bears Player Deployment

One big mystery for the Bears season is how they will use some of their newly acquired personnel.

This includes both tight end Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan Jr., as well as the way the backfield play reps will be handled with D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson in the mix.

In an assessment of Saturday's 24-21 Bears preseason loss to Buffalo, Pro Football Focus noted several Chicago personnel packages and player usages worth knowing if you're in fantasy football and pondering selection of players involved—or if you're merely just curious how they'll split time.

The players who look like they could take fewer play reps and could be affected most in terms of fantasy production are tight end Cole Kmet and running back Khalil Herbert.

The acquisition of Lewis and Tonyan didn't automatically mean fewer plays from Kmet. However, it was largely assumed he'd get fewer because the tight end help the Bears had for him last year didn't measure up, so they got better ones. Trevon Wesco was a quality blocker but he and Ryan Griffin combined managed six receptions and 12 targets for the entire season.

What PFF's Nathan Jahnke noted was Kmet was involved in all plays with 11 and 12 personnel on the field against Buffalo, which is one running back and one tight end or one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers. However, when the Bears went to 21 personnel (fullback, halfback, one tight end, two wide receivers), Kmet did not play at all. Lewis' presence was the reason Kmet didn't play in 21 personnel.

Kmet had been in 83% of the 21 personnel snaps last year, according to PFF.

PFF tracked Kmet at two TDs and 107 yards on eight catches in 21 personnel last year.

If this is the trend, it could definitely lead to reduced scoring and/or receptions from Kmet provided 39-year-old Lewis stays healthy all year.

As for the running back situation, Herbert took first- and second-down snaps on two drives with the first team. Then Foreman took the running back spot for the third drive. This isn't totally unlike the split last year with David Montgomery as lead back and Herbert the backup.

However, they also noted Johnson getting two third-down plays on the first two drives, which means they're considering him as the third-down back because of his receiving and blocking abilities. That would further whittle away at Herbert's snaps, although it was pointed out Herbert came back later in the game when backups were in and took a long down-and-distance plays.

Either way, it doesn't figure Johnson will be sitting on the bench or playing special teams. There will be plays going his way as there will be with Foreman. So Herbert doesn't figure to be a 240-carry back like Montgomery was for the Bears.

All of this adds up to something for fantasy owners to remember when they're considering Kmet in the tight end pool or Herbert with the backs.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Add us as a preferred source on Google