Week 6 at Arizona
After being the centerpiece of the Jets offense for the first two weeks, Forte's involvement and production has been limited over the last three games. Against the Steelers, he only had 60 yards from scrimmage, and alarmingly only had 14 touches. It's puzzling why the Jets haven't used him more.
He will face the Cardinals this week, who are 13th in aFPA to running backs. Forte has value for Week 6, but he only ranks as a RB2 against Arizona.
Week 5 at Pittsburgh
After two weeks of getting multiple touches, Matt Forte's usage has been scaled back the past two weeks. With only 43 total yards from scrimmage, his fantasy impact was limited. There is no danger of him losing his job, but this pushes him down the running backs list.
The Steelers matchup on the road is fairly neutral, but the way the Jets offense has been playing, any Jets offensive player is a risk.
Start Forte for Week5, but as a low-end RB2 in Pittsburgh.
Week 4 vs. Seattle
It should be a concern that Matt Forte's touches dropped dramatically in Week 3. This might have been the flow of the game, or it also could be his injured knee. He had 57 touches the first two weeks, but only had 17 in Week 3. He did practice this week, so we will have to see if the number jumps back up.
Forte will face a Seattle defense that has been average against the run in 2016. If he gets the touches, he should put up some decent numbers. But the uncertainty pushes him down the rankings a little bit. Start him Week 4 as a solid RB2 against the Seahawks.
Week 3 at Kansas City
Matt Forte has been the early fantasy steal putting up monster numbers the first two games. He has 62 touches and 264 yards from scrimmage plus three touchdowns last week after not recording one in Week 1. He did miss practice on Wednesday, but probably just a day off for the veteran.
The former Bear is proving he has something left in the tank and the Jets are using him. It might not be as easy this week against a Chiefs defense that is excellent against the run ranking 2nd in aFPA to running backs. Still, if Forte continues to get 30 touches a game, his value will remain sky-high.
Start Forte as a solid RB1 for Week 3 even with a road game against a good defense.
Week 2 at Buffalo
If you drafted Matt Forte with the hope he would be the Jets workhorse, you weren't disappointed in Week 1. The former Bear rushed 22 times for 96 yards and caught five passes for 59 yards. The only downside was he didn't get into the end zone. It was good to see Forte targeted seven times, which was third-best of NFL running backs in Week 1.
It won't be easy Thursday night on the road in Buffalo, however. Although the Bills weren't a great at stopping the run last season and were average last week, the whole situation stacks the deck against the Jets on offense this week - division game, short week and ineffective red zone efficiency.
Start Forte for Week 2 in all leagues and formats, but only as a solid RB2. Hopefully, he can have more success with a similar amount of touches.
Week 1 vs. Cincinnati
Matt Forte's numbers fell back slightly in 2015, especially in the passing game (which is what made him so valuable in 2013 and 2014). The Jets think he has something left in the tank, but many fantasy forecasters don't agree. There is no doubt Forte will get the carries early, but where will his touches be at the end of the day?
For Week 1, he will face an average Bengals run defense. He should be somewhere between 15-20 touches and if it's lower, his fantasy owners should be worried.
Forte is a low-end RB2 for Week 1. Like many players who are in new situations, we aren't quite sure what the Jets will do with Forte in the offense.
Fantasy Upside
Matt Forte prepares to play in a different uniform for the first time in his eight-year NFL career. His resume is very good and the Jets think he still one of the better overall running backs in the NFL. He might not get 20 carries per game, but he will see the football more than anyone on the team. Forte's receiving skills are well-documented and the fact he has rushed for over 1,000 yards three of the last four seasons (he missed three game last season and ended up with 898 rushing yards) shows he still has been putting up rushing numbers. He has averaged 60 catches per season throughout his career and it's safe to say OC Chan Gailey will take advantage of his versatility.
Fantasy Downside
Forte is 30 years old and although he has still been effective in recent years, an aging running back is always a concern. And even though Forte will be the No. 1 running back on the depth chart, he most likely will average between 10 and 15 carries a game as the Jets will distribute some of those carries to Bilal Powell and Khiry Robinson.
2016 Bottom Line
Forte has not shown signs of slowing down yet despite missing three games last season with an injury. He will not be a running back who gets all of the carries but he will get a lot of touches which makes him more valuable in PPR leagues. Forte has been going in the 3rd round and that's a very good spot in a PPR league. In a standard league, you should wait until the 4th round as the rushing numbers will not be as good as some backs who are going behind him.
Week 17 vs. Detroit
Everyone is worried about Jeremy Langford taking points away from Matt Forte, but last week it was KaDeem Carey who stepped in and vultured two touchdowns from the Bears back. Overall, it wasn't a terrible outing for Forte as he finished with 77 yards.
This week he faces a Lions defense he had 89 yards and a touchdown against earlier in the season. Although in the first matchup, Forte had a much larger role for Chicago and wasn't splitting time with Langford. We'll look at Forte more of an RB2 option in a tough matchup this week.
Week 16 at Tampa Bay
Matt Forte continues to split time with Jeremy Langford, but he's still able to put up big numbers. Last week he finished with 104 total yards and a touchdown, along with six receptions, a nice boost for PPR leagues.
Forte had two more offensive snaps than Langford, which has been the norm over these last few weeks. He's still been effective, although he may struggle this week in a tough matchup against Tampa Bay. The Bucs have held running backs to an average of 62 yards per game over the last four weeks. We still view Forte as an RB1 option, however.
Week 15 vs. Minnesota
Matt Forte's touches went down last week, partly because the Bears were playing from behind. He was still effective, though, turning 11 touches into 53 yards and a touchdown. But these aren't numbers we're used to seeing Forte put up.
This week he faces a Vikings defense he was having success against (69 yards) earlier in the year before leaving with an injury. Earlier in the year, Minnesota was a great defense against the run, but injuries have made them susceptible. Forte isn't the top-five option he used to be, but he should still be viewed as a borderline RB1 or strong RB2. The emergence of Jeremy Langford has made Forte's stock go down some.
