Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford is expected to be the feature back in Matt Forte's absence, according to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson.
Jeremy Langford expected to be feature back, per report, has fantasy upside in Forte’s absence
The Bears appear set on giving Jeremy Langford the full workload that comes with being a feature back in the NFL while Matt Forte’s out with a knee injury. We break down the fantasy implications.
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In wake of injuries to star running backs, many teams opt for a committee approach depending on their backfield depth, but that’s not what the Bears plan on doing after losing Forte to an MCL sprain. Langford has just 29 touches over seven games, and his workload is expected to triple, according to Dickerson.
Fantasy impact: If Langford’s touches were “tripled,” he’d be at just over 12 per game, which is on the conservative side for the workload of a feature back, so his owners wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect quadrupled production or more. However it’s parsed, the fact remains that the Bears appear set to give Langford the keys to the backfield in Forte’s absence, which is a scenario they apparently planned for when drafting him in the fourth round.
Against the 27th-ranked rushing defense of the San Diego Chargers, Langford can be considered a firm RB2 option based on volume alone.
