Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers
Tarik Cohen finished with 1,169 scrimmage yards in 2018, doing most of his damage as a receiver. Cohen caught 71 passes for 725 yards while rushing 99 times for 444 yards. He finished with a total of eight touchdowns. Cohen could see an increased role in 2019 as he's now listed as the starter on the team's depth chart. With Jordan Howard out of the picture, it's likely Cohen gets more carries than he has in the past.
He opens 2019 against the Packers, who allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs last season. As for Cohen, he struggled against Green Bay, finishing with 96 scrimmage yards in his two games combined against the Packers in 2018. He should be viewed as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3 choice this week.
Fantasy Upside
Tarik Cohen was 15th among running backs last season in scrimmage yards (1,169) and was sixth amongst backs in receptions (71). This placed him 17th in his position in PPR formats, where Cohen carries the most value. He’s had some explosive games in the past, including five games in 2018 with 7+ receptions, and four games with 100+ scrimmage yards.
Fantasy Downside
Some may see the Bears trading away Jordan Howard as a good thing because it opens up Cohen, but it’s actually the opposite. Instead of Howard, the Bears now have David Montgomery (rookie) and Mike Davis (free agent) in the mix, and both are much more capable receivers than Howard was. And while Cohen’s been a successful back these past two seasons, he doesn’t get many opportunities. He’s had just five games with 15+ touches, and 16 with fewer than 10 touches.
2019 Bottom Line
At this point, it seems like Cohen’s production from 2018 would be a win for 2019. Our projected numbers for him are much lower than what he delivered a season ago, and that’s mainly because Montgomery and Davis will be involved as receivers in ways Howard wasn’t. We like Cohen’s talent, but the opportunities don’t appear to be there in 2019 for him to have a true breakout season.
Wild Card Playoffs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Tarik Cohen scored last week, but it was another low-touch game from him. He finished with 51 total yards in his last two games, touching the ball just 14 times (only three receptions). Hopefully, the Bears were just resting him up for their playoff run, because Cohen proved to be really valuable in several games this season.
He gets a favorable matchup against the Eagles, who allowed 110 receptions to backs in 2018, the second-highest amount in the league. Cohen does most of his damage as a receiver, so he should be able to take advantage. He's the best handcuff back in the fantasy playoffs.
Week 17 at Minnesota Vikings
Tarik Cohen was awful last week, finishing with 12 rushing yards and a season-low seven receiving yards on just one catch (and one target). Cohen has been somewhat frustrating since he seems to have really big games, or really low games.
He gets a tough matchup this week against the Vikings, a team he finished with 50 total yards against earlier in the year. Despite his bad outing in Week 16, we've seen enough from Cohen in 2018 to know he can be successful. We like him as a lower-end RB2 against Minnesota.
Week 16 at San Francisco 49ers
Tarik Cohen finished with 55 total yards and a touchdown last week (along with a lost fumble). He's now scored in three of his last four games (one via a pass) while averaging just under 100 total yards in that span. He should continue his success this week in a favorable matchup against the 49ers. San Francisco has allowed 90 receptions to backs, which ties for fourth highest in the league. Expect Cohen to catch plenty of passes as he can be viewed as an RB2.
Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers
Tarik Cohen finished with 89 total yards last week, which wasn't bad relative to how poorly the Bears played overall on offense. Although it was certainly down from his 156-yard receiving day the week prior.
Cohen gets a decent matchup this week against the Packers. He did struggle against them in the first game of the season, finishing with 41 total yards, but that was more due to a lack of touches. He averaged five yards per carry in that game. We like Cohen as an RB2 option against Green Bay.
Week 14 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Chase Daniel really liked Tarik Cohen last week, targeting him 14 times. Cohen finished the game with a team-high 12 receptions for 156 yards, adding 30 yards on eight carries and he even had a one-yard pass for a touchdown. Cohen is averaging over 80 total yards per game and has scored seven total touchdowns, making him a very valuable asset in fantasy.
He might struggle a bit this week, however, as he gets a tough matchup against the Rams. L.A. is allowing the sixth-fewest receiving yards to backs this season, which is where Cohen gets most of his production. He's still a decent RB2 play, but don't expect a game like last week again.
Tarik Cohen at New York Giants
Tarik Cohen led the Bears in rushing last week ... with 14 yards. He also succeeded in his usual role as a receiver, catching seven passes for 45 yards, including a touchdown. He's now found the end zone six times in his last eight games, which is surprisingly consistent.
He gets a favorable matchup against the Giants this week, who have allowed six receiving touchdowns to backs all season (tied for league-high). Cohen was a nice safety blanket for Chase Daniel a week ago, so perhaps their magic can work again. Cohen is a strong RB2 in PPR and a lower-end RB2 in standard.
Week 12 at Detroit Lions
Tarik Cohen had a mediocre performance last week, totaling 50 scrimmage yards. He carried the ball seven times and caught three of his four targets. Cohen had a nice stretch earlier in the season, but has averaged just 35 total yards in his last three games. That includes a performance vs. the Lions, his opponent this week.
Cohen didn't have many yards vs. Detroit the last time he played, but he did score and had six receptions. He's not an elite option, but he can be viewed as a high-end RB3 or flex play.
Week 11 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Tarik Cohen had just 44 yards last week, but he did finish with a score. He also had a solid PPR outing, finishing with six receptions on seven targets. He's now had 6+ catches in four of his last seven games.
Cohen gets a fairly tough matchup this week vs. the Vikings, who have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points against opposing backs. Most of Cohen's production this season has been based on his ability to make at least one big play. He carries somewhat of a risk, especially in a poor matchup, and is best viewed as an RB2.
