Week 10 vs. St. Louis
Jay Cutler had another big game last week, as he finished with 345 yards and two touchdowns. He's now had two 300-yard performances this season and both have come within the last three games with Alshon Jeffery back in the lineup.
Even though he's been playing well lately, Cutler is not a strong option in Week 10 against the Rams. St. Louis is brutal against opposing quarterbacks, holding them to zero touchdowns in the last three games. Cutler offers a lot of promise most weeks, but this is not one of those weeks. In a brutal matchup, there's not much to like about the Bears quarterback in Week 10.
Week 9 at San Diego
Last week wasn't a stellar one for Jay Cutler. He finished with 211 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Part of the reason is Cutler didn't get many opportunities to throw the ball. He had a season-low in pass attempts (33) in games he finished.
This week he gets a San Diego defense that has been adequate against opposing quarterbacks. Passers have had success against them, although they're a pretty good group. Still, Cutler is likely to be without Matt Forte this week, which means the Bears might rely heavily on their passing. Cutler should be viewed as a low-end QB1.
Week 8 vs. Minnesota
Jay Cutler had a strong 353-yard performance two weeks ago, although he was only able to find the end zone once during the game. He also threw an interception, which gives him a turnover in every game this season.
He'll face a Vikings defense that has been somewhat hard on quarterbacks this season. Minnesota has allowed the 11th-fewest passing yards per game (233) and the seventh-fewest passing touchdowns (8). Cutler has his full receiving corps healthy this week, which hasn't been the case for most of the season. He should have a decent game, but the Minnesota defense should limit his ceiling. He's a low-end QB1 this week.
Week 6 at Detroit
Jay Cutler may be without a few options this week. Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal are questionable and missed last week's game, and even reserve wideout Josh Bellamy was a limited participant in practice. This is a good matchup for Cutler, but the lack of receiving threats hurts his ceiling. Still, Cutler was able to work with what he had last week en route to a 252-yard, two-touchdown performance. He may not be a top option this week, but he's certainly playable.
Week 5 vs. Kansas City
Jay Cutler made a surprise return last week and looked pretty good. He threw for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He should be good to go again in Week 5 as he gets a favorable matchup against Kansas City.
The Chiefs have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Quarterbacks facing K.C.'s defense have thrown for over 320 yards in three of four games. The Chiefs have also allowed 11 passing touchdowns this season, the most in the league. Cutler is still somewhat limited as he may not have his top receiver Alshon Jeffery for another week. But he's still a low-end QB1 play this week in a strong matchup.
Week 2 vs. Arizona
Jay Cutler will try and bounce back from a not-so-great Week 1 performance. The Bears QB finished with 225 yards, one touchdown and an interception against Green Bay. He wasn't awful, but his stats still left something to be desired.
In Week 2, he'll face a Cardinals defense that allowed 355 yards to Drew Brees in Week 1. Granted, Brees had 48 pass attempts to get there. Cutler likely won't have so many pass attempts, so expect lower numbers than what the Cards gave up to the Saints. Cutler will likely finish short of 300 yards with one or two touchdowns, making him a QB2 option.
Week 1 vs. Green Bay
Jay Cutler could be limited with his receiving options against Green Bay. His top three wideouts — Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson — were all limited in practice on Thursday and are also listed as questionable for Week 1. Cutler isn't projected to be a top quarterback this season, and with so many injuries to his receiving corps, his value takes a big hit.
Cutler has also typically performed poorly against the Packers. He has a 1-11 record against the team, has thrown 22 interceptions in 12 career starts and his QB rating in the regular season is 67.1 against Green Bay. Cutler isn't the worst start based on his high ceiling, but there are plenty of better options available in Week 1. Cutler should be viewed as a QB2.
Fantasy Upside
Jay Cutler is coming off of one of his best seasons. He set a career high for passing touchdowns (28), finished with 3,812 yards (second best in his career), and completed 66 percent of his passes (career high). Cutler has the talent to have some monster games. He threw for 330 yards or more four times last season and had 10 games with multiple touchdown passes. The Bears also have plenty of options for Cutler to throw to, which should help his numbers. He has Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte and new rookie wideout Kevin White.
Fantasy Downside
Cutler’s 2015-16 season will involve a lot of change. He no longer has Brandon Marshall, one of his favorite options, and he has a new offensive coordinator in Adam Gase. We’ve seen quarterbacks struggle in the past when they are introduced to a new offensive system. Another issue with Cutler is that he’s always been inconsistent. One week he can throw for 300+ yards and the next he’ll throw three interceptions. That actually happened last season in weeks 14 and 15. Cutler hass also never been a top-of-the-class quarterback, either. He’s never reached 30 touchdown passes in a season and he’s only eclipsed 4,000 passing yards once in his career.
Bottom Line
Last season, Cutler was on the cusp of being a QB1 as he finished as the 14th highest scoring quarterback. Given the circumstances this season, it’s more likely he takes a step backwards rather than forwards. Introducing a new coordinator and taking away the top targeted receiver in the offense likely won’t instantly result in higher numbers. White is a talented rookie receiver, but it takes time for young guys to adjust to the NFL. Cutler will still be able to provide some big games, but he’s closer to being a QB2 than a QB1.
Jay Cutler - Week 17 vs. Minnesota
Well this is awkward. The Chicago Bears benched Jay Cutler last week in favor of Jimmy Clausen. Well, as fate would have it Clausen suffered a concussion and has been ruled out for Week 17. Welcome, back Jay!
Cutler hadn't been playing well in terms of actual football, but he wasn't a terrible fantasy option. He had six games with at least 280 yards passing and had multiple touchdowns in all but four games.
This week he faces a Minnesota defense he played well against in Week 11. In that game he completed 72 percent of his passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Typically the Vikings' defense is a little tougher than that.
The Bears clearly don't have a lot of confidence in Cutler and this week they aren't playing for anything. Cutler should be viewed as a QB2.
Jay Cutler - Week 15 vs. New Orleans
Jay Cutler is getting criticized for his play lately, but fantasy owners aren't complaining. Last week Cutler threw for 341 yards, threw two touchdowns and ran a touchdown in. A great start to the fantasy football playoffs for some.
While it's unlikely he'll reach those type of numbers again this week, he's still a great start. He gets a great matchup against New Orleans. The Saints have allowed three 400-yard passing performances so far this season. Cutler's the type of QB who put up numbers like that if everything falls into place.
It's important to note Cutler will be without one of his major weapons. Brandon Marshall has been shut down for the year, leaving Cutler with Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Marquess Wilson. These weapons, and the matchup, still make Cutler a QB1 play.
