Running Back Tandem In Chicago
Last season the Matt Forte was having such a season in fantasy football
that the Chicago Bears simply could not resist. They rode Forte and then rode
him some more. The Bears became a run first team under then-offensive
coordinator Mike Martz but even when they were throwing the ball it seemed like
Forte was the main target in the passing game as well. Forte’s season was cut
short in early December with an injury that many surmised had been brought
about by the Bears’ over-usage of the young running back.
To help take some of the load off of Forte, the Bears brought in Michael
Bush, who had been decent in fantasy football last season in replacing Darren
McFadden in Oakland after he went down with an injury. Many had expected that
Bush would go somewhere where a team would make him the featured back. Instead,
Bush came to Chicago to help Matt Forte. To call what they have together in
Chicago a timeshare would be understating the case for Forte and overstating it
for Bush. Forte is still the starting running back when healthy, and he is the
one who gets the most carries. But touchdowns have been hard to come by for
both,
Forte and Bush have combined for four touchdowns on the season so far,
the only problem is that three of those four came in the season opener. Forte
hasn’t seen the end zone since the opener, Bush hasn’t been there since week
three. Forte did have his second consecutive 22 carry game in a row in Monday
night’s win over the Detroit Lions. He carried the ball 22 times for 96 yards.
Bush doesn’t get the carries needed to be productive in fantasy football and
he’s not getting to the end zone either. Forte can be serviceable in fantasy
football but both should be looking to get back to the end zone.