Alshon Jeffery - Week 10 vs. Green Bay
Alshon Jeffery had an abysmal Week 7 against Miami as he caught two passes for nine yards. Things improved in Week 8 when he caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown against New England. While Brandon Marshall struggled, Jeffery succeeded.
Jeffery has more receptions (38 to 34) and yards (563 to 384) than Marshall so far this season, and is the team's leading receiver.
He'll face the Green Bay Packers in Week 10, a team he played earlier in the season. When he last played the Packers he finished with four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. Marshall is a better bet for a TD, but don't be surprised if Jeffery gets more yards. He should be viewed as a WR2 option.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 8 vs. New England
Alshon Jeffery was a huge letdown last week against Miami. He caught just two of his seven targets for a measly nine yards. It was his lowest yardage total since Week 15 of his rookie season in 2012.
The only positive to take away is his fourth consecutive game with seven targets. The Bears will continue to try to get both Jeffery and Brandon Marshall the football. But the two may have struggles again this week against New England.
The Patriots have held receivers without a touchdown in four out of seven games this season. It's a big reason why they're allowing the second fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts.
Jeffery should be viewed as a WR2 this week.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 7 vs. Miami
Alshon Jeffery is putting together a good stretch of games. Over the last four weeks he's averaging 94 yards and five receptions. He's also caught two touchdowns in that span. He and Brandon Marshall both went over 100 yards against Atlanta.
He'll go up against a Dolphins defense that has allowed an average of 225 receiving yards to wideouts in the last two games. Jeffery is a top option in a high powered passing attack and should be used as a WR1.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 6 vs. Atlanta
While Brandon Marshall has struggled in the last three games, Alshon Jeffery has shined. He's averaging 80 yards a game and has caught a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. He actually has more receptions, targets and yards than Marshall this season.
He'll get a favorable matchup against the Falcons in Week 6. He should be viewed as a WR1.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 5 vs. Carolina
Alshon Jeffery hasn't had a fantastic season so far. In two of the four games he's caught less than 50 yards and he only has one score on the season. He's still a very talented player in a pass happy offense, so his value is still there.
He'll also be going against a favorable Carolina Panthers defense this week. Carolina has struggled the last two weeks to stop wideouts. Jeffery should be used as a low WR1.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 4 vs. Green Bay
Brandon Marshall re-injured his ankle in Week 3 and missed some playing time. Without Marshall, Jay Cutler had to find someone else to throw balls to. That someone else ended up being Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery saw 13 targets on Monday night and turned it into eight receptions for 105 yards, both season highs. He still is without a touchdown on the season, however.
Jeffery owners should keep an eye on Marshall's status throughout the week. He returned to play in Week 3, but only caught one pass the entire night and was barely targeted in the second half. If Marshall is unable to play, Jeffery's value only increases.
Even if Marshall does play, Jeffery should still be viewed as a WR1. The Packers aren't a favorable matchup, but Jeffery is too talented to not be in your starting lineup.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 3 vs. New York Jets
Alshon Jeffery was questionable to play in Week 2 with a hamstring injury. He eventually decided to play, but it was clear the injury was slowing him down. He didn't look as fast coming off of his routes and struggled to get open against the San Francisco defense. Jeffery finished the game catching three passes for 47 yards on six targets. Meanwhile his fellow talented wideout Brandon Marshall caught three touchdowns.
His hamstring injury shouldn't prevent him from playing against the Jets in Week 3. He was limited in practice on Thursday and should be ready to play for Monday night against the Jets.
Speaking of the Jets, Jeffery is in for a treat. New York has given up the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts so far this season. Jeffrey should be able to find holes in the Jets' secondary and get open.
His somewhat slow start and hamstring injury are causes for concern, but in a favorable matchup Jeffery should be viewed as a high WR2 option this week.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 2 vs. San Francisco
Update
Alshon Jeffery has been listed as questionable for Sunday night's game. He did participate in Bears practice on Friday on a limited basis. He told ESPN's Jeff Dickerson that he felt "pretty good." His status is in question.
End Update
Alshon Jeffery suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Week 1. According to the Chicago Sun Times Jeffery said he was going to come back in but didn't because they were "being cautious. It's the first game of the season."
Even though he left early in the third quarter, Jeffery had a solid game. He caught five of his six targets for 71 yards. This week he'll face a fairly tough 49ers defense. We'll also have to keep an eye on his injury status throughout the week in case he's slowed down at all.
Assuming he's healthy enough to play Jeffery should be viewed as a borderline WR1. He and Brandon Marshall are one of the top WR duos in the league for a reason. They continuously have high production every week.
Alshon Jeffery - Week 1 vs. Buffalo Bills
Alshon Jeffery stepped into the NFL spotlight last season. Injuries hampered his rookie season, but the 2012 second-round draft pick showed off his skills during his sophomore campaign. He broke out for 89 receptions, 1,421 yards (led the team) and seven touchdowns. He also had a sneaky 16 carries for 105 yards.
In the team's third preseason game Jay Cutler targeted Jeffery eight times in one half. It's safe to say Jeffery's success will continue in 2014 as long as he remains healthy.
He draws a favorable matchup in Week 1 against Buffalo. He should be viewed as a WR1 and a must-start option.
Fantasy Upside
Alshon Jeffery came on strong during his sophomore season. Injuries slowed down his progress during his rookie campaign, but the former second-round receiver is on the up-and-up.
Even with the presence of Brandon Marshall, Jeffery was able to finish 11th in the league in targets. He finished ahead of guys like Jimmy Graham and Demaryius Thomas.
He’s a talented player who gets production as defenses focus in on Matt Forte and Marshall.
Fantasy Downside
We only have one year of good production to go on with Jeffery. We’ve seen receivers in the past have one good year and then disappear from fantasy relevance. Michael Clayton had a stellar rookie season for Tampa (80 rec., 1,193 yards, 7 TD) and failed to even have a 500-yard season the rest of his career.
Jeffery is also the second guy in command after Marshall. This leads to less receptions and touchdowns for Jeffery.
Bottom Line
Jeffery is in a good system with a good quarterback and should continue to have success. He may be second in command after Marshall, but he finished with more receiving yards than his teammate last season.
The Bears have a pair of WR1s this season.
