Week 6 at Carolina Panthers
Anthony Miller has scored twice this season, but otherwise hasn't been too productive. He's averaging just 32.2 yards per game, and that's around what we're projecting for him in Week 6 against the Panthers. Carolina is a tough matchup (No. 2 in aFPA), and we'd expect the Bears to lean more on the ground game this week. Miller isn't much more than boom/bust WR5 play this week.
Week 5 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Anthony Miller has now scored in two games, but finished with under 20 yards in his other two games. Miller is a talented receiver, but he's inconsistent as a fantasy option. He'll be a hit-or-miss play moving forward, with a higher chance of miss than hit. He gets a decent matchup this week, but he's a hard receiver to trust. He's not much more than a WR5 option at this point.
Week 4 vs. Colts
Anthony Miller's season has been a roller coaster so far. He caught a touchdown in Week 1, went catchless in Week 2 and caught a touchdown in Week 3. This is somewhat reminiscent of his rookie season where he caught seven touchdowns, but had nine games below 30 receiving yards. He's in a better position for production this year than his rookie year, but Miller has struggled with consistency. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him have another down game this week in a tough matchup against the Colts, who are seventh in aFPA. We're projecting him in WR5 range for Week 4.
Week 3 at Atlanta Falcons
We mentioned last week that if Anthony Miller is able to stay consistent, he'll turn into a solid fantasy option. Well so far he's unable to do that as he finished with a goose egg last week. Miller saw three targets and caught none of them. He's also been limited in playing time so far, playing just 42% of the snaps in Week 1 and 40% in Week 2. Darnell Mooney saw more week in Week 2, playing on 60% of the snaps. Miller is a weak WR4 option in Week 3 against the Falcons.
Week 2 vs. New York Giants
Anthony Miller had a strong start to 2020, finishing 4-76-1 in Week 1 on six targets. His 17.6 fantasy points (PPR) in Week 1 is already higher than all but two of his performances last season. If he can remain consistent, he may end up being a steal in many fantasy drafts. He'll get another opportunity for a great game in Week 2 as he draws a favorable matchup against the Giants. The Giants struggled to stop Pittsburgh's wideouts in Week 2, so we like Miller as a strong WR3 play in Week 2. We're projecting around a 4.4-57.1 game.
Week 1 at Detroit Lions
Anthony Miller hasn't quite put it together in his first two seasons, but he has an opportunity for a career year in 2020. He draws a favorable Week 1 matchup against the Lions, a team he finished 9-140-0 against in his previous matchup. We don't expect that however, as we're projecting Miller to finish around 4-56 with a small chance of a touchdown. This would put Miller at about mid-tier WR3 range.
Fantasy Upside
Anthony Miller saw improvement in his second season as he was featured more in Chicago’s offense. He went from 54 targets to 85 and went from playing in 53% of the snaps to 64%. He was second on the team in receiving yards (656) and should finish in that spot again as he plays outside Allen Robinson. Miller had a strong 5-game stretch in 2019 where he finished 33-431-2. If he could keep that production up, or be a little more consistent, he could easily produce WR3 numbers.
Fantasy Downside
Miller would often disappear as he had five games where he finished with five receiving yards or less. One could argue that he’ll see more playing time with Taylor Gabriel gone, but the Bears added Ted Ginn Jr. who essentially replaces that body. Plus the additions of Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet are slightly worrisome. Plus he’s in an offense with a poor line and bad quarterback play.
2020 Bottom Line
We expect Miller to put up career bests in receptions and receiving yards this season. He’s not someone who we expect to have a breakout season, but he’s talented enough to produce at a WR3 level. He needs to become much more consistent in 2020, and that lack of consistency is why he’s being drafted in the very late rounds. He has enough upside to take a late-round flier on, but don’t expect a Pro Bowl season from Miller. He should be viewed as WR3 or WR4 heading into 2020.
Week 17 at Minnesota Vikings
Anthony Miller had an explosive game in Week 15, but came crashing down in Week 16 when he finished with two yards on one catch. Miller has a high ceiling with two 100-yard games in his last four outings, but he's hard to trust as Chicago's offense is so bad. He has a strong chance for a rebound game this week against Minnesota who is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers. We like Miller as a strong WR3 in Week 17.
Week 16 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Anthony Miller has suddenly become relevant in fantasy with some strong performances in his last three games, including two 100-yard efforts and two touchdowns. He led the team in targets (15) last week, finishing with a strong 9-118-1. His numbers should drop in Week 16 against a tough Chiefs defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers. But Miller's still carrying value as a strong WR3 in Week 16.
Week 15 at Green Bay Packers
Anthony Miller caught a touchdown last week as his productive streak continues. In PPR leagues, Miller has put up four consecutive double-digit performances, making him a surprisingly reliable option lately. He gets a decent matchup against the Packers this week and with Taylor Gabriel likely out with injury, we expect Miller to get more looks than usual. We like him as a sneaky high-end WR3 play in Week 15.
