Should You Start D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, or Darrynton Evans in Fantasy Football Week 9?

The Chicago Bears‘ running back situation has been altered by this week’s dismissal of RBs coach David Walker, reportedly for workplace behavior. Whether or not this will turn into a positive for Chicago remains to be seen, but the Bears do have options to pick from at the running back position for your fantasy football team in Week 9.

Should You Start D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, or Darrynton Evans This Week?

In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that D’Onta Foreman is the player to start. His projected 9.9 points include 68 rushing yards, one reception, and three receiving yards. That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projections for Roschon Johnson (7.9 points) and Darrynton Evans (4.0 points).

My ranking for the three running backs aligns with the consensus, with Foreman proven to be the more productive of the three when on the field.

Fantasy Outlook for Foreman This Week

Two weeks ago, Foreman turned in an outstanding performance in a win over the Raiders, rushing for 89 yards and two touchdowns while also catching three passes for 31 yards and another score. It was the kind of effort that usually separates a player from a group when you have a running back-by-committee situation.

MORE: 2023 RB Fantasy Football Rankings

But Foreman’s reward for his Week 8 performance: 21 snaps, nine carries, and 34 rushing yards vs. the Chargers. Clearly, the Bears view any production coming from this position as a group effort.

While, on paper, a matchup with a tough Saints defense isn’t the best situation for any opponent, remember that New Orleans allowed a season-high 164 rushing yards against the Colts last week. In addition, Foreman faced the Saints in Week 18 last season — back when he was with Carolina — and ran for 68 yards on just 12 carries.

Fantasy Outlook for Johnson This Week

Of these three, Johnson was on the field the longest, playing in 24 offensive snaps for the Bears. But that also resulted in just six carries for 21 yards (3.5 yards per carry), and although he caught three passes (good), those three receptions were for only 10 yards (bad).

Johnson has scored just one touchdown all season, and that came in Week 1 vs. the Packers, so it’s not as if he has that value going for him. The best case for Johnson could be the fact that last week was his first game after being inactive the previous two contests, and with more games and time on the field, more carries will follow.

The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Johnson to finish with 41 yards and catch one pass for eight yards.

Fantasy Outlook for Evans This Week

Two weeks ago, Evans’ chances of being more of a featured back in the Bears offense looked promising. He was on the field for 34 offensive snaps and finished with 14 carries and 48 rushing yards.

But last week, he was only on the field for 18 snaps and had four carries for 18 yards. However, his value as a pass catcher — Evans had three receptions for 22 yards last week — plus the fact that he was the only one of the three that found the end zone last week, make him at least a player to consider among the three for this week.

The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Evans to finish with 23 rushing yards and 13 receiving yards.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!