Below is the Chicago Bears team analysis. From now until the end of preseason, Step Ahead Fantasy will be featuring two NFL teams a week starting from the worst ranked team and working our way up to the best ranked team. Our analysis will not only provide insight into fantasy football and the player dynamics, but we will also cover some fun facts about the team and their location.

The Chicago Bears - NFC

Est 1919

Team Analysis:

Rebuilding is never easy and the Chicago Bears are finding that out the hard way. For fantasy purposes teams on the rebuild are usually not ideal targets. The Bears front office started the offseason by signing veteran and long-time Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million dollar (realistically a one-year, $18.5 million) deal. Glennon at age-27, appeared to finally have a shot at being "the guy" for a franchise. Well not so fast, the Bears came out of no where on draft day trading up to the number two pick to nab North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Plenty of rumors started to swirl that Glennon was not told before hand that Trubisky was the target on draft night. Now Glennon and Trubisky will battle it out in camp to see who wins the starting job (Glennon is the heavy favorite). Starting drama in the quarterback room isn't an ideal start to the rebuilding process. With the starting quarterback spot up in the air the Bears figure to give second-year running back Jordan Howard all he can handle. Last year, Howard was one of the biggest fantasy surprises, rushing for 1313-yards and six touchdowns after taking over the Bears starting running back job in Week 4. Despite just one year of production, Howard is locked and loaded as a number one back on fantasy rosters. Plus, he'll be running behind a pretty decent offensive line. The handcuff candidates for Howard are free agent addition Benny Cunningham, rookie Tarik Cohen, Ka'Deem Carey, and Jeremy Langford. Right now Cunningham is probably the best bet to backup Howard. One player that can help a tough quarterback situation is receiver Cameron Meredith. Last season, after Alshon Jeffery (now a Philadelphia Eagle) and Kevin White struggled with injuries, Meredith took advantage of the opportunity catching 66 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns, despite not being a full-time player until October. Now the top receiving target on the team Meredith has a chance to flirt with 1,000-plus yards and a handful of touchdowns. With an average draft position (ADP) as the 44th receiver, Meredith an absolute steal for fantasy owners in the middle rounds of drafts. One player that could rain on Meredith's parade is White. White is now entering his third-year in the league after being drafted out of West Virginia with the 7th overall pick back in 2015. He's missed 28-of-32 potential games since he's been drafted. If healthy, White offers the Bears an elite receiving option along with Meredith, the problem is he's never healthy. The best advice for fantasy owners is to use a wait-and-see approach for White. Along with White and Meredith the Bears brought in a few veteran receivers in Kendall Wright, Victor Cruz, and Markus Wheaton. Right now Wheaton appears to be the best bet to see consistent targets in Chicago. None of the three are worth a shot in fantasy, especially with Meredith's success out of the slot last year. With the wide receiver position as clear as mud the tight ends on the Bears roster could have some fantasy relevancy. Last years starter Zach Miller is returning from a Lisfranc injury and might not be a lock for the final roster because of the injury. That said, he's a useful pass catcher and was a decent fantasy tight end before going down. To prepare for Miller not being ready for the season the front office signed free agent Dion Sims from the Miami Dolphins and drafted Adam Shaheen out of Ashland in the second roudn. Sims is more of an in-line blocker but does offer the Bears a red zone target. Shaheen is the tight end of the future and could start Week 1, if he performs in camp and the preseason. Standing at 6'7'', 278 and an adequate athlete if he can pick up the game quickly, look out. Finally, the Bears defense and kicking game. Kicker Conner Barth is not worth drafting in fantasy and is just a matchup based add for fantasy owners. As for the defense, there is some intriguing talent on that side of the ball but with a tough schedule this season it's unlikely they finish as a top-15 unit.

Favorite Fantasy Player: Jordan Howard, RB

Instagram: N/A

Twitter: @JHowardx24

Football Fact: The Bears hold the NFL record for the most enshrines in the Pro Football Hall of Fame they also have recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise.

Unrelated Fact: Chicago became home to the first skyscraper in 1885, which was originally nine stories tall. Walt Disney was also born in Chicago.

Game Day Recipe: The Chicago Deep Dish Pizza is a must for when your favorite team plays the Bears. Try this delicious recipe here.

Celebrity Fan: Mila Kunis

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