Jay Cutler - Week 3 vs. New York Jets
For fantasy purposes Jay Cutler had a fantastic Week 2 performance against San Francisco. He finished with the second-most fantasy points at his position after tossing four touchdowns. He only finished with 176 passing yards, but that was to be expected against a tough San Francisco defense.
The only QB who had more fantasy points in Week 2 than Cutler was Aaron Rodgers who faced the New York Jets, the same team Cutler faces this week. The Bears' QB should have no problem putting up big numbers against N.Y. The Jets have allowed the second-most points to opposing QBs so far this season.
Cutler has had strong performances to open his 2014 season. He's currently the third highest scoring QB behind just Peyton Manning and Andrew luck. His strong start should continue into Week 3 against a favorable opponent. View him as a QB1 and start him with confidence.
Jay Cutler - Week 2 vs. San Francisco
Jay Cutler could have done a lot worse last week. His two starting receivers, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, were both in and out of the game due to injuries. Even with those two missing some playing time Cutler managed to throw for 349 yards (4th best) and two touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions, though.
This week will likely cause problems for Jay Cutler. He faces a tough San Francisco defense that gave Tony Romo problems in Week 1. Romo threw just one touchdown while turning the ball over three times. He was also sacked three times and threw for just 281 yards.
Jeffery and Marshall should return in full to the Bears lineup Sunday night, which is promising for Cutler. He was just 4-of-11 on passes to WRs other than those two.
Cutler has the potential to be a top five quarterback on a favorable matchup. This is not one of those matchups. He'll have a hard time finding success against a tough 49ers defense. You might want to look for better options this week.
Jay Cutler - Week 1 vs. Buffalo Bills
There's a lot of anticipation for Jay Cutler's 2014 season. In 11 games last year he showed a lot of promise, but injuries prevented him from playing the entire season. Now, Cutler is healthy and is ready to go.
He's coming off of a good preseason performance. In three games he completed 67 percent of his passes (28-of-42) and threw two touchdowns.
He does have a potential challenging opponent in Week 1 against Buffalo. The Bills were fourth in the NFL in opposing yards allowed last year. But the Bears have weapons such as Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett to overcome that. Cutler should be viewed as a QB 1 this week.
Fantasy Upside
Jay Cutler has a lot of positives going for him heading into the 2014 season. He has one of the best receiving duos in football (Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery) to throw to, and he’s in a pass-happy system. Marc Trestman is something a QB guru. He even made Jimmy Clausen look good in the preseason.
In January Cutler signed a seven-year, $127 million contract so there’s no doubt the Bears have confidence in him. There’s a lot to like about the potential of the Bears offense this season.
Fantasy Downside
Cutler missed five games last season due to an ankle injury. Staying healthy could be a concern given Chicago’s offensive line woes. He’s had injury problems in the past, missing 12 games over the last three seasons.
And even with Cutler’s improvement last season, he still didn’t show he’s among the league’s best. His touchdown-interception ratio (19-12) needs to improve for him to be a true QB1.
Bottom Line
The Bears’ slinger has a lot of potential. He’s in a great scheme, with great players and he has great talent. He’s a borderline QB1 this season. If he produces to the level he’s capable of he could be a real steal late in the draft.
His main concerns are staying healthy and committing turnovers. If he can avoid injury and limit his mistakes he’ll make you a happy owner.
