Who Should I Start? DJ Moore or Rashee Rice

Monday, August 25, 5:19 PM

With the Chicago Bears' running back room currently decimated by injuries, wide receiver DJ Moore was seen taking reps at RB during combination drills with the QBs at practice on Monday, according to Bears reporter Herb Howard. It's not the first time that Moore has taken handoffs out of the backfield in training camp this summer as a wrinkle in new head coach Ben Johnson's offensive playbook. The only RBs that dressed for practice were D'Andre Swift and Brittain Brown. The Bears seem to be trying to manufacture touches for the 28-year-old wideout in Johnson's offense, but fantasy managers realistically probably shouldn't expect him to see more than a handful of carries, at best, on a weekly basis. The former first-rounder had a career-high 98 catches for 966 yards and six scores in 17 starts with Caleb Williams in his rookie season. Chicago's offense could be much better this year, but Rome Odunze is a threat to steal valuable targets. Treat Moore as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3.

Saturday, August 23, 4:32 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice caught two passes for 13 yards and a touchdown in the 27-29 loss to the Chicago Bears. Rice was not highly targeted in this contest, but that's not surprising since the starters only played the first three drives of the game. That said, Rice was the Chiefs pass catcher to find the endzone against the Bears. What was not in the box score is the fact that Rice was also targeted on a deep pass that led to defensive pass interference and flipped the field position. Rice is a difficult player to project given his eventual suspension, but he will be a key part of the offense when he is available. The 25-year-old was targeted by Patrick Mahomes on a four-yard out route, and the duo displayed their chemistry because the play was timed up perfectly. With the aging Travis Kelce on the decline, Rice's ability as a possession receiver should keep him heavily involved in the offense. Rice should be considered a high-end starter at the wide receiver position for every game he is eligible to play in.