Implied Totals
MIN – 23.25
CHI – 20.25
O/U – 43.5
Key Injuries
David Montgomery has already been ruled out with a concussion. Ryan Nall and Lamar Miller will shoulder the rushing load for the Bears backfield. Nall is more of a fullback, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miller command a higher share of the backfield touches.
Allen Robinson has been limited in practice all week with a knee injury. Robinson missing would open up a ton of usage for Anthony Miller and Darnell Mooney.
The Vikings have already ruled out Irv Smith. This bumps Kyle Rudolph, but it also means MIN could use more 11-personnel. Chad Beebe has operated as the team’s WR3 over the last several weeks.
Pace and Play Calling
Both of these teams prefer to play slow. Minnesota ranks as the seventh-slowest team on a seconds-per-play basis, and they have the league’s lowest pass rate in neutral situations.
Chicago comes in at around 28 seconds per play, but their neutral pass rate is up to nearly 60% this year. Robinson missing would likely alter this. Ideally for fantasy purposes, we’d love for the Bears to put some points on the board early and force the Vikings to throw a bit more.