Week 6 vs. Minnesota Vikings
D.J. Moore probably single-handedly won fantasy matchups in Week 5 as he went off for a stat line of 8-230-3 on 10 targets. Moore's 230 receiving yards are pretty crazy when you consider Justin Fields had 282 pass yards. Only 52 pass yards went to someone other than Moore. On the season, Moore has been very impressive, topping 100 yards in three of his five games, including a touchdown three straight weeks. His high level of production should continue this week in a favorable matchup against the Vikings who are 26th in aFPA WRs. Based on Moore's production so far, he should be trusted as a strong WR1 play in Week 6.
Week 5 at Washington Commanders
D.J. Moore took advantage of his favorable matchup last week and put up a season-best performance. He saw nine targets and caught eight passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. He's now caught a touchdown in back-to-back games, and has put up at least 100 yards in two of his four games played this season. This week he faces a Commanders defense that's given up the 6th-most receiving yards to wide receivers this year. Given his production so far, and the favorable matchup, Moore can be trusted as a solid WR2 play for Week 5.
Week 4 vs. Denver Broncos
D.J. Moore was struggling last week as he had just two catches for 32 yards most of the game. But then he caught a 9-yard garbage time touchdown to help salvage the day. Thanks to the score, Moore is off to a decent start this season as he also had a 104-yard effort in Week 2. He's been a lone bright spot in a struggling Bears offense. Moore has a chance for another productive outing in Week 4 as he draws a favorable matchup vs. the Broncos. Denver just gave up 70 points to the Dolphins last week, so that bodes well for Moore. Although he could be shadowed by talented CB Pat Surtain II. We like Moore as a WR3 play for Week 4.
Week 3 at Kansas City Chiefs
Despite the Bears' struggles on offense, D.J. Moore managed to have a productive game in Week 2. He caught six of his seven targets and finished with 104 receiving yards. He finished with nearly half of Justin Fields' total passing yards, which honestly will likely be a theme throughout the season. Moore gets an OK matchup this week against the Chiefs. We'd expect Moore to continue to see the bulk of the targets for the Bears, especially since Darnell Mooney is dealing with a knee injury. Moore should be viewed as a solid WR2 play for Week 3.
Week 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Four Bears players saw at least five targets in Week 1, but none of them were D.J. Moore. Moore only saw two targets, finishing with two catches for 25 yards and no touchdown. Both of Moore's targets came on back-to-back plays in the second quarter, which means Moore went without a target for the entire second half despite the Bears losing 38-20. We'd expect that number to go up in Week 2 against the Bucs. Last season, Tampa Bay gave up the 7th-most fantasy points to WRs. Moore should be viewed as a solid WR2 option in Week 2.
Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers
D.J. Moore has finished with at least 900 scrimmage yards in all five of his NFL seasons so far. But that came with the Panthers, and Moore is now with the Bears following an offseason trade. Moore is an electric player, and he showed some of that during the preseason with a pair of big plays. The Bears' passing game was atrocious last season, and Moore is expected to come in and fix that. Moore gets a tough Week 1 assignment, though, as he faces Jaire Alexander and the Packers. Green Bay gave up the 12th-fewest average fantasy points to WRs a year ago. Still, Moore is the top target for Fields and should have a solid first week. He should be viewed as a WR2 for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
D.J. Moore comes over to a Chicago offense where he figures to be the primary target out of a weak WR corps. Moore showed promise in Carolina with three consecutive 1,100-yard seasons from 2019 to 2021. He had just 888 yards in 2023, but he also had a carousel of QBs that included Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and P.J. Walker. Justin Fields is a noticeable upgrade from those QBs, and someone who could get Moore back in that 1,100-yard range.
Fantasy Downside
The obvious downside to Moore is he joins a run-heavy Bears offense. Chicago averaged just 130.5 pass yards per game in 2022, and Fields only managed two games with at least 200 passing yards. With just 130 pass yards per game on average, there isn’t much production that can be had when you split it up between all available receiving threats. Moore is also coming off a down year where he had 30 fewer receptions and 269 receiving yards fewer than the year prior despite playing in the same number of games.
2023 Bottom Line
Moore’s value is directly tied to whether Chicago ends up throwing the ball more often in 2023. Moore is a talented player, but that doesn’t mean much if Fields is only completing 12.8 passes per game. We have Moore projected to produce around what he did last season. Moore has some upside if the Bears’ passing attack shows promise early on in the season. Right now, Moore should be viewed in the WR30 range.
Week 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
D.J. Moore had another nice game with Sam Darnold behind center, catching five of his seven targets for 83 yards and a touchdown. Moore now has a touchdown in three of Darnold’s four starts and has been a nice part of the fantasy playoffs for managers who suffered through his struggles all season. Moore actually has a career-high six touchdowns this season, despite his yards and receptions being down.
This week, Moore has a nice matchup against a reeling Buccaneers team that ranks 23rd in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. The Panthers need this victory and they’re trending in the opposite direction of the Buccaneers, so expect Moore to come motivated. We have him ranked as a low-end WR2 option this week.
Week 16 vs. Detroit Lions
D.J. Moore has two good games and a dismal game with Sam Darnold at the helm, including a nice, 5/73/1 stat line against the Steelers last week. Moore seems to do better with Darnold than he did with Baker Mayfield, so fantasy managers should be encouraged as we close out the season.
Moore has a ton of upside this week against Detroit. The Lions rank 29th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers, and this could be a barnstormer of a game, with a great offense and a terrible defense coming to Carolina. Moore should be active as a solid WR2 option in all leagues.
Week 15 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
D.J. Moore got hurt last week and ended up with a big goose egg on three targets. It’s been a forgettable season for Moore, overall, but the return of Sam Darnold behind center meant good things in Week 13 against the Broncos, so there’s reason for hope in the coming weeks. Watch the injury report with his ankle injury, but he’s practicing, so all signs point to him playing this week against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh ranks 20th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers, so there’s upside for Moore this week. We have him ranked just outside WR2 territory and he’s worth plugging into lineups in most leagues.
