Week 10 vs. Detroit Lions
After putting up a nice streak of big games, Tarik Cohen was a bust last week finishing with six carries for five yards while catching 1-of-2 targets for eight yards. Yuck. Most of this performance fell on the gameplan, as Mitch Trubisky only finished with 12 completed passes.
Cohen should bounce back this week in a favorable matchup vs. the Lions. Detroit has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing backs this season, and the game plan should end up benefiting Cohen more. He can be viewed as a strong RB2 in standard and a low-end RB1 in PPR formats.
Week 9 at Buffalo Bills
Tarik Cohen had a big game, but most of the production was highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown. If you take that score away, he had just five carries for 40 yards and no receptions. The good news is Cohen did play his highest percentage of offensive snaps in Week 7, but it'd be nice to see that translate into more touches.
Cohen gets a decent matchup against the Bills this week, as Buffalo is one of just nine teams to allow at least 400 receiving yards to backs this season. Hopefully Cohen gets more than just one catch in this game, and if so he should be considered an RB2 play.
Week 8 vs. New York Jets
The Bears have finally realized Tarik Cohen's potential and have started using him more as Chicago opens up its passing game. He led the team in targets last week (13) and now has at least seven receptions in three straight games. Jordan Howard still appears to be the main rushing back, but if Cohen can continue as a playmaker in the passing game he'll be a great fantasy play moving forward.
He gets a decent matchup this week against the Jets where he should continue his success. His numbers might take a small dip just because he's been so great lately, but he can be viewed as an RB2 in standard and a borderline RB1 in PPR formats.
Week 7 vs. New England Patriots
After seemingly not wanting to use Tarik Cohen early in the season, the Bears have finally started utilizing the second-year player. Cohen had 31 yards and a score on the ground, and caught 7-of-9 targets for 90 yards. He has 295 yards in his last two games, with a score in each matchup.
He gets a favorable matchup this week against the Patriots in what could be a passing showdown. Cohen is a much better receiving back than Jordan Howard, and could continue to get targets like he has the past two games. Cohen can be viewed as an RB2 in standard, and a borderline RB1 in PPR formats.
Week 6 at Miami Dolphins
Tarik Cohen was finally involved in the offense in Chicago's last game, exploding for 53 yards on the ground, and 121 yards as a receiver. He also scored his first touchdown of the season and played in 48% of the offensive snaps, another season high. Perhaps Chicago will give him more touches moving forward with this performance.
He certainly has a chance for a big game this week against the Dolphins. Miami has allowed a lot of big games to receiving-type backs such as Cohen. Dion Lewis (5-35), Bilal Powell (5-74-1) and James White (8-68-1) all had solid games as receivers. Cohen may not explode like he did in Week 4, but he can be a serviceable RB3 or flex option, especially in PPR formats.
Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tarik Cohen finally showed some spark last week, finishing with a season-high 68 yards. His usage didn't increase too much—he just made more with his opportunities. His touches and snap counts were on par with what he's done so far this season.
We'll see if he can find success this week against the Bucs, which should be a decent matchup. If Tampa Bay gets involved in another high-scoring game we could see Cohen more as a receiving threat.
We haven't really seen much from Cohen that would warrant strong fantasy consideration. He's a low-end RB3 play, at best.
Week 3 at Arizona Cardinals
Fantasy owners have to be disappointed with Tarik Cohen's production so far. He barely saw the ball in Week 1 (8 touches) and he touched the ball even less in Week 2 (5 touches). He also saw a slight dip on snap counts, which means he's trending in the wrong direction. At this point, there's no reason to play Cohen in fantasy.
Week 2 at Seattle Seahawks
Tarik Cohen saw limited action last week, as expected. He finished with 41 scrimmage yards on five carries and three receptions. He did play a fair amount though, lining up on 40 percent of the team's offensive snaps.
He faces a Seahawks defense that just gave up 146 yards on the ground a week ago, so it's not out of the question for Cohen to have a bit more success. Still, his touches will always be a bit limited due to Jordan Howard. He really only has value in PPR formats at the moment, and in such a format this week, he can be viewed as an RB3 or flex play.
Week 1 at Green Bay Packers
Tarik Cohen is one of the more interesting players heading in to 2018. We saw a lot of potential in him as a rookie last season, but he didn't get many touches down the stretch of the season. With a new playcaller in Chicago, we might see increased numbers from the shifty back.
He gets a decent matchup against the Packers in Week 1, although he struggled against them in 2017. Although "struggled" is a strong term considering he had just two touches in their second matchup.
If you do plan on playing Cohen this week, it'll be better if you do so in a PPR league. For now we don't see him holding much value in standard, but he can be a decent low-end RB3 option in PPR.
Fantasy Upside
Tarik Cohen showed off what he could do last season, especially at the very start of the season. He began his rookie campaign with 24 receptions for 150 receiving yards with an additional 181 rushing yards, all within the first four games of the season. This made him the No. 13 back in PPR, which is pretty solid for backup duties. He continued to impress throughout the year, including a 70-yard catch-and-run and a punt return touchdown. In 2018, new coach Matt Nagy says he wants to move Cohen around in the offense to take advantage of his speed, so look for an increased role.
Fantasy Downside
The biggest downside to Cohen last year was that after his hot start, he barely saw the field. After Week 6, he had just two games with double-digit offensive touches. He’s also not a huge threat red zone threat (just three offensive touchdowns total last season) since Jordan Howard is good in that role, so most of Cohen’s scores will need to come off of big plays.
2018 Bottom Line
After posting some solid highlights as a rookie, we’re excited to see what Cohen brings as a sophomore. The only problem is a lot of people seem to be excited about him, which has raised his ADP to a point of being a little uncomfortable. Cohen should see increased numbers, but it may not be worth his current value. Cohen carries more appeal in a PPR format.
