Week 2 at Seattle Seahawks
Jordan Howard had a solid opening game, carrying the ball 15 times for 82 yards. He also added five receptions for 25 yards. He didn't find the end zone, but he played on 71 percent of the team's offensive snaps while getting a healthy amount of touches.
He faces a favorable Seahawks defense this week which gave up 146 yards on the ground in Week 1. Expect the Bears to continue to have a similar game plan for Howard moving forward, which makes him a low-end RB1 in standard and PPR formats.
Week 1 at Green Bay Packers
Jordan Howard is off to a strong start in his first two seasons with Chicago. He's rushed for over 1,000 yards each year, and has done a decent job finding the endzone. He's not much of a pass-catcher, those duties go to Tarik Cohen, but he certainly makes up for it on the ground.
He gets a decent Week 1 matchup against the Packers, although he did struggle against them last year. In the two 2017 games, Howard ran the ball 33 times for 107 yards (3.2 ypc) and a TD.
We expect slightly better numbers from him this week, especially if he's able to find the endzone. You can view him as a low-end RB1 or a strong RB2 play in both formats.
Fantasy Upside
Jordan Howard came on the scene as a rookie two years ago, and continued to impress in his second season last year. He finished as the 15th-highest scoring RB after rushing for over 1,100 yards with 9 touchdowns. He’s projected to be Chicago’s starter again in 2018, which means we can likely expect another 1,000-yard season out of the third-year back.
Fantasy Downside
Howard was very hot and cold last season, with a handful of 100-yard performances, but also some single-digit yardage games as well. He took a step back in rushing yards, yards per carry, and receiving yards from the season before. Some of this can be contributed to Tarik Cohen, who figures to be an even bigger factor in 2018 under new head coach Matt Nagy.
2018 Bottom Line
Howard carries more value in standard formats than PPR because he never really was a great receiving back, and Chicago has Cohen who can fill that role. While there’s nothing overly exciting about Howard, he figures to be a solid option in about the third round of drafts.
Week 17 at Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Howard had a bizarre game last week as he mostly struggled, rushing 22 times for 44 yards, but he ended up with 2 touchdowns. Howard had received 20+ carries in five games before last week, and finished with 100+ yards in all but one of them. So to see him struggle like that was a bit of a shock.
But Howard hasn't been himself lately, rushing for under 50 yards in four of his last five games. He'll likely continue to struggle this week as he faces a Vikings defense that has allowed the fewest points to opposing backs this season. RBs have only gone over 100 yards on the Vikings once this season.
When you combine Howard's struggles with the bad matchup, he ends up being a low-end RB2 or RB3 this week.
Week 16 vs. Cleveland Browns
Jordan Howard continues to frustrate fantasy owners with his up-and-down production. He's mostly been down lately, with just one big game in his last four outings. In his other three games, he's finished below 40 rushing yards.
We know you're tired of being burned by Howard, but he could be a decent option this week in a somewhat favorable matchup against the Browns. Howard should be a strong RB2 in this game.
Week 15 at Detroit Lions
Jordan Howard bounced back last week with a strong 147-yard game and 2 touchdowns. When the Bears are able to get a lead, Howard can be one of the best backs in fantasy. Chicago loves giving him the ball, and he's bound for a 100-yard effort.
He gets a favorable matchup against the Lions this week, a team he had a lot of success against just a few weeks ago when he had 125 yards and a TD. That will be a tough total to match again, but he's certainly capable. He should be viewed as a solid RB2 this week.
Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals
Jordan Howard had another bad outing last week, rushing 13 times for 38 yards while catching a pass for negative-five yards. He's now had two bad games in a row after being one of the more reliable options at RB this season.
He'll look to bounce back this week in a favorable matchup against the Bengals, who are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing backs. Howard has still been reliable for touches, as the Bears look to lean on him constantly, but he's no longer a trustworthy RB1 option. He should be viewed as an RB2 against the Bengals.
Week 13 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Howard had the worst rushing game of his career last week, carrying the ball 7 times for just 6 yards. He only added 13 more yards on 2 catches. We expected his numbers to drop in a tough matchup last week but didn't expect such an awful performance.
He should be able to get back on track this week against the 49ers. Although oddly giving up few touchdowns to RBs, the 49ers have allowed the most fantasy points to the position in 2017. Expect the Bears to lean very heavily on Howard this week, making him a solid RB1 play.
Week 12 at Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Howard continues to be arguably the only fantasy relevant player on the Bears. He had another solid outing last week, rushing 15 times for 125 yards (8.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown. He's third in the league in rushing yards, and second in attempts (behind an absurd LeVeon Bell).
However, Howard gets a tough matchup against the Eagles this week as Philly has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs. The Eagles have only given up a rushing score to a back in two games this season, with the last one coming in Week 4.
Howard takes a bit of a hit this week, dropping to the RB2 tier.
Week 11 vs. Detroit Lions
The Bears decided to throw the ball more last week, which meant less touches for Jordan Howard. He still finished with 15 carries for 54 yards, but his lack of involvement in the passing game continued as he had no receptions again.
Howard gets a favorable matchup this week against the Lions, a defense that has allowed a touchdown to a back in every game but two this season. In fact, the Lions have given up the second-most rushing touchdowns in the league.
Howard is still a major part of this offense, and with a good matchup, he should be viewed as a low-end RB1.
