Chicago Bears - Fantasy News

Mike Glennon 2017 Fantasy Projections

by Aaron Bowers

8/13/17

NFL

Chicago Bears

Mike Glennon

After four years at N.C. State, Mike Glennon was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He won the starting job as a rookie and played well, getting the nod in 18 games over his first two seasons. However, when Jameis Winston came to town, Glennon took a backseat and has thrown only 11 passes in the two years since the former Heisman Trophy winner’s arrival.

When his contract expired with the Bucs, Glennon was lavished with a three-year, $45 million deal from the Chicago Bears. Shortly thereafter, the Monsters of the Midway drafted quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick in this past April’s Draft.

Noise from Chicago indicates that Glennon will get the first crack at the starting job, but how long that lasts remains to be seen.

Why Mike Glennon Will Be A 2017 Fantasy Football Stud

Glennon is a prototypical NFL pocket passer. He has a strong arm, decent accuracy and stands tall in the pocket at 6-foot-6. Through 21 pro appearances, he has a 30-to-15 touchdown to interception ratio, a big reason he received so much money this offseason. He has shown he can be a competent pro quarterback—despite possibly not being as good as Winston—but he should carry fantasy value in 2017.

The Bears have some good pieces in place on offense, particularly running back Jordan Howard and a bulldozing offensive line. Leaning on the running game will open up play-action passes down the field to stud tight end Zach Miller, making Glennon’s job easier. Without pressure in his face, he should be able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball on target to his receivers.

The Bears are somewhere between rebuilding and tanking this season, but one benefit of playing on a last-place team in the NFL is a favorable schedule. The Bears will face the 12^th-easiest slate of games in 2017. They will face many of the league’s softest defenses, including the Packers (twice), Saints, Lions (twice), 49ers and Browns. Dober Fantasy Players using Glennon would be wise to check his matchups because, in the right situation, he could return excellent value.

Why Mike Glennon Will Be A 2017 Fantasy Football Dud

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding how Glennon will perform in his new home. While he does boast a sparkling touchdown to interception ratio, he piled up stats on teams that went 6-26 during his two seasons as the starter. The league’s opinion on him has not improved since holding the clipboard once Winston arrived.

After letting Alshon Jeffrey leave, the Bears enter 2017 with one of the weakest wide receiver groups in the league. The best thing you can say about Kevin White, Cam Meredith and Marcus Wheaton is that they are unproven. All three have spent their pro careers alternating between being hurt and being disappointing. It is hard to play quarterback in the NFL, even harder when the receivers around you are incompetent.

Despite the success of Howard, the Bears had one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2016. They finished 28^th in the league in points per game with 17.4 and lost Jeffrey, their best offensive player. Defenses will stack the box to stop Howard, leaving Glennon as the primary playmaker, a role he may not be ready for.