Earlier this week, the Chicago Bears signed Damien Williams to a one-year contract, bolstering their running back room. Williams was cut from the Kansas City Chiefs after opting out of last season. This addition should affect both David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen’s fantasy outlook for the upcoming NFL season. Let’s take a look at each player’s fantasy value in 2021.
David Montgomery
Montgomery took the next step last season, and he sure looks to be the workhorse yet again in 2021. On 247 carries last season, the second-year pro produced his first 1,000-yard season (1,070). He also saw a ton of production in the receiving game once Cohen went down with a torn ACL in Week 3. Montgomery added 54 receptions for 438 yards and two touchdowns finishing fourth among all running backs in fantasy points.
Williams should cut into his carries, but it shouldn’t be at a very noticeable amount. With the Bears lacking to address their quarterback struggles (signed Andy Dalton to replace Mitchell Trubisky), Montgomery should be the focal point for Matt Nagy’s offense. With Cohen coming back healthy this next season, Montgomery should see fewer passes thrown his way. During his rookie season, playing next to Cohen the full season, Montgomery only caught 25 passes for 185 receiving yards and one touchdown. Expect the 23-year-old to produce enough to finish in the top 10 in fantasy points for running backs once again. Keep in mind, there will be an additional game played by each team this season (17), so each RB’s numbers should increase with the extra game.
Montgomery’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 272 carries, 1,169 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
Receiving: 42 receptions, 327 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
Fantasy Points: 215.6 standard points, 257.6 PPR points
Tarik Cohen
As mentioned before, Cohen suffered a season-ending injury in 2020. The season prior, Cohen logged 213 rushing yards on 64 carries. His production came mostly from the receiving game as he caught 79 of his 104 targets for 456 yards and three touchdowns. His most productive season was in 2018 when he produced a total of 1,169 scrimmage yards. He carried the ball 99 times for 444 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Cohen was a huge factor in the receiving game as well, catching 71 of his 91 targets for 725 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
With Montgomery showcasing he can be reliable in the passing game, Cohen should see a decline in points this season. Williams has also shown that he can be a reliable receiver out of the backfield as well. Expect Cohen to lead all Bears RBs in both receptions and receiving yards, but don’t expect him to mold back into his 2018 form. He should get at least eight touches per game as he’s one of the more dynamic pieces in Chicago’s offense, and worthy of a bench spot for fantasy owners in most PPR leagues.
Cohen’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 68 carries, 265 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Receiving: 68 receptions, 483 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns
Fantasy Points: 98.8 standard points, 166.8 PPR points
Damien Williams
Williams has played most of his career as a back-up RB in his team’s offenses. In Kansas City, he started nine of his 27 games played. In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Williams produced 754 rushing yards with nine touchdowns on 161 carries. He caught 78.4 percent of the balls thrown his way, showcasing that he can be very reliable out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. During the 2019 season, he caught 30 of 37 targets for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
The 28-year-old back should see a few rushing attempts and targets each game. Don’t expect him to light up the fantasy world, but if Montgomery or Cohen were to miss time, he would be a valuable fantasy pick-up for the time being. Expect about five touches per game as the back-up to Montgomery in the rushing game and the back-up to Cohen in the receiving game out of the backfield.
Williams’ 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 58 carries, 249 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
Receiving: 27 receptions, 157 receiving yards
Fantasy Points: 52.6 standard points, 79.6 PPR points
The Bears might not have one of the best offenses on paper, but their RB room is solid. Montgomery should be an RB1/RB2 in most leagues. Cohen is a solid RB4/RB5 that belongs on fantasy rosters, and Williams should serve as a Free Agent RB in fantasy leagues.
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