Many fantasy football managers expected Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert to be the team’s leading back once he returned from injured reserve in Week 11. However, in a game where D’Onta Foreman was inactive, it was rookie RB Roschon Johnson who saw the most work in the Chicago backfield by a wide margin against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

How aggressively should you target Johnson on your waiver wire in Week 13?

Should Roschon Johnson Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?

The Bears’ backfield has been tough to predict on a weekly basis throughout the majority of the 2023 season. Need proof? Here is the highest-scoring fantasy back in Chicago through their first 12 games of the season in PPR formats.

Highest Scoring Bears RB in PPR Formats

Week 1: Roschon Johnson
Week 2: Khalil Herbert
Week 3: Roschon Johnson
Week 4: Khalil Herbert
Week 5: Khalil Herbert
Week 6: D’Onta Foreman
Week 7: D’Onta Foreman
Week 8: Darrynton Evans
Week 9: D’Onta Foreman
Week 10: D’Onta Foreman
Week 11: D’Onta Foreman
Week 12: Roschon Johnson

For those of you keeping count, Foreman leads the team with five games as the highest-scoring Bears fantasy back, while both Johnson and Herbert have three games as the top scorer.

After Foreman was deemed inactive against the Vikings while dealing with both an ankle and knee injury, it was Johnson who finished with a season-high 10 carries to go with five receptions for a total of 75 yards in this contest. In comparison, Herbert finished with just six carries and two receptions for 38 total yards.

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The Bears are heading into their bye in Week 13, which should give Foreman plenty of time to get his ailing knee and ankle healthy heading into their matchup against the Detroit Lions.

This could make this entire backfield a big fantasy headache as we approach the fantasy playoffs. Here are the cumulative stats for each back through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 season.

2023 Bears RB Stats

Khalil Herbert: 87 total touches for 434 yards and a TD
Roschon Johnson: 78 total touches for 363 yards and a TD
D’Onta Foreman: 101 total touches for 436 yards and five TDs

Foreman has been the most fantasy-productive option when on the field this season, but he is on just a one-year deal with the team. Both Herbert and Johnson are under contract with the team through the 2024 season.

Could the Bears continue to feed Foreman when he returns to the lineup? Sure, it’s definitely within the range of outcomes. However, if the Bears are truly to get a closer look at who can be a big part of this offense past the final five games of the 2023 season, it would make a lot more sense for them to get a closer look at Johnson and Herbert to finish the season.

Johnson provides the most well-rounded skill set of all three players with his reliability as a pass catcher — leading the backfield with 24 receptions on the season — and pass blocker. He is intriguing as a stash in PPR leagues to see if the rookie’s role expands after the bye.

Herbert and Foreman will certainly continue to be involved in some capacity through the rest of the season, which definitely makes this a potential running back committee moving forward.

However, my money is on the rookie getting more involved after seeing a career-high 15 total touches against the Vikings in Week 12, which makes Johnson a priority waiver wire add in your league this week.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

Every year in fantasy football, there is a guy who becomes a fantasy hero in the final couple weeks of the season. A couple of years ago, Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown went crazy down the stretch, knocked people (myself included) out of the playoffs, and won championships.

Last year, Kansas City Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon had eight receiving touchdowns in the final six weeks of the season to help people win championships.

Could Buffalo Bills RB Latavius Murray be that guy this year?

Should Latavius Murray Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?

Murray has become more involved in the Buffalo offense the last three weeks, as he has had nine, 10, and nine carries the past three weeks. The Bills have been much better running the ball recently, as they are showing they can truly pound the rock late in games. That hasn’t always been the case for the Bills, but it could be a huge factor for the team if they are going to go on a nice run and make the playoffs.

With that in mind, should Murray be signed off the waiver wire and brought to your team?

While it is nice to see him put up those numbers, you shouldn’t pick him up off the waiver wire. First off, the Bills have a bye this week, so there is no point in getting him on your team. If you are signing a guy off the waiver wire, you need someone who can contribute immediately.

Right now, the Bills are in a tough situation to make the playoffs. They are currently the No. 10 seed in the AFC, and they have two difficult games coming up. After the bye, the Bills will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs and then host the Dallas Cowboys. Those are two of the best defenses in the league.

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If they are going to beat those teams, it will be because of QB Josh Allen and the passing game. If they are going to get anything from the running back in this game, it will be James Cook.

This season, Cook has 33 catches, while Murray has only 16. That versatility from the running back position will be huge in this game, and I expect Cook to be one of the most used running backs during that two-week stretch.

If you are going with a waiver wire running back right now, you are going for a Hail Mary type of situation — a guy who is capable of exploding for a 25-30 fantasy point performance in any given game with a high ceiling. That is the biggest issue with Murray right now. He is a solid running back who plays a big role on the team in real life, but his fantasy ceiling just isn’t high enough to sign him.

Trust the players you have on your roster, or look at someone other than Murray.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

If Josh Dobbs became a closet magician with the magic he’d been pulling with the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears made sure his next act wouldn’t disappear into thin air.

Chicago’s defense made sure his magic instead fell into their hands.

Dobbs entered U.S. Bank Stadium with five total interceptions. The Bears, however, nearly matched his interception totals — snatching four total in the 12-10 Monday Night Football win. And in the process, the Bears got the NFL world believing the magic has run out for Dobbs.

“We’re Seeing That Josh Dobbs Regression in Real Time,” NFL World Has Harsh Reactions for QB

Again, Dobbs had created quite the storybook novel as a journeyman quarterback on his third NFL team this season, but sparked a late playoff push for his latest team.

The Bears, though, went with a textbook approach to throw off Dobbs starting with Jaylon Johnson.

Jaylon Johnson with the textbook interception❕ pic.twitter.com/BPt9mj9ZgH

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 28, 2023

But that wasn’t all. The Bears turned to another fundamental aspect of defensive play — the tip drill. Jaquan Brisker caught the next one for Chicago.

TIP DRILL 🚨

Jaquan Brisker comes up the second interception off Josh Dobbs tonight!

pic.twitter.com/JljyAm47Ne

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 28, 2023

And there was another tip and grab — this one completed by T.J. Edwards.

TIP DRILL ✌️

TJ Edwards makes it three interceptions against Josh Dobbs tonight❕ pic.twitter.com/tptMWnnM60

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 28, 2023

Finally, the fourth nearly went to interior defensive lineman Justin Jones before falling into the hands of cornerback Kyler Gordon.

👀

Four interceptions for the #Bears defense!pic.twitter.com/HPHRhPWSiB

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 28, 2023

Dobbs delivered his most mistake-prone outing of his truncated time with the Vikings. But the criticism was out in full force after the Minnesota loss.

“We’re seeing that Josh Dobbs regression in real time. Always happens with career backups once they get a few more starts under their belt,” posted Colts beat reporter for The Athletic James Boyd on X (formerly known as Twitter).

ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark was equally harsh of Dobbs’ performance.

“Yea, Joshua Dobbs’ carriage done changed back into a pumpkin,” Clark posted.

Meanwhile, Yahoo sports analyst Matt Harmon believes Dobbs has taken new steps backwards.

“The more Josh Dobbs has gotten to know his teammates the worse he’s played,” Harmon shared.

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Lastly, a Vikings fan believes the Dobbs magic is gone and it’s time for Minnesota to pivot elsewhere.

“Over Josh Dobbs. The magic is gone. Reason he was traded for a sixth. Good guy but we need to play Hall,” the fan said, referring to 2023 rookie Jaren Hall.

Dobbs and Kevin O’Connell React to Dismal Night

Dobbs ended his night going an unmagical 22-of-32 for 185 yards, one touchdown and the four picks.

His head coach Kevin O’Connell faced the daunting task of getting asked about Dobbs’ dismal night. Turns out per “KOC,” Dobbs still hasn’t reached a comfort level with the Vikings offense.

“As much as he’s done some really good things for us, he’s still getting comfortable in our pass game,” O’Connell told reporters after the loss.

However, O’Connell sounded like a coach who wouldn’t declare Dobbs the permanent starter from this day forward.

“We’re going to take a look and evaluate,” O’Connell said.

Once Dobbs took to the podium, he was equally honest about how the night went — stating how the Vikings didn’t execute and how it starts with him.

“It’s frustrating because, as I said last week, turnovers can really control the game,” Dobbs said. “So it starts with me in taking care of the football and my decision making. I acknowledge it and I’m frustrated with myself.”

But, he vows that he’ll be better “from every single one of them” with his turnovers and aim to use it to build new momentum.

Yet, after a four-takeaway evening, many are starting to believe the Dobbs magic has run out. And now, even his head coach blurted out a new evaluation process will take place behind center.

Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!