Fantasy bust of the season? Matt Forte, no doubt about it. Of course, since I'm writing this entry from Chicago, this news doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. Forte's struggles have been just as frustrating to fantasy owners as they have been to Bears fans. The Bears were expecting their second-year back to turn into one of the best runners in the league. Fantasy owners were counting on the same thing. Forte was a consensus top five pick in most fantasy leagues. Those owners can't be happy now.
There are many reasons for this, of course. The Bears are throwing more - and, as a Bears fan, I contend it's still not enough. The offensive line is also putrid. Forte is getting less chances, and they're worse chances. It doesn't look he'll break out of this funk any time soon.
Besides for this week, that is. The Cleveland Browns are the vaccine that cures all.
The Browns will enter Sunday as the second worst unit in the league when it comes to defending the run. Backs are averaging 4.9 yards per carry against them, to the tune of over 170 yards per game.
You may remember that it hasn't been all bad for Forte this season. He was actually quite good against the cringe-worthy Lions in Week Four, rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. The Lions are currently the 13th worst team against the run. Again, Cleveland is the second worst.
So, yeah: start Matt Forte on Sunday, and watch him (probably) run wild. At this point, he owes you.
Ricky O'Donnell is the editor of
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