Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen may have finally hit his stride just ahead of the team’s bye week. But for fantasy football owners, that doesn’t make the decision on how to deploy the young running back in Week 6 easy. After a quiet start to the year, Cohen broke out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a big way.
But does one huge game against one of the NFL’s worst defense make the 23-year-old a solid fantasy starter moving forward? A few things point to the answer to that being ‘yes,’ but I’m going to dive a bit deeper into his fantasy status against the Miami Dolphins. Cohen caught a season-high seven passes for 121 yards and one touchdown against the Buccaneers while also adding 13 carries for 53 yards.
Let’s break down the matchup, how things look with his workload split alongside backfield mate Jordan Howard and a few other key things.
Key Stats and Tarik Cohen’s Fantasy Outlook
We’ll dive into the matchup against the Dolphins, snap counts and production, among other things. All information on fantasy points and statistics for defense vs. position are from ESPN.
- Miami Dolphins vs. running backs in 2018: 130 attempts, 509 rushing yards, 36 receptions, 294 receiving yards, seven total touchdowns (No. 4 most fantasy points per game)
- Cohen was out-snapped 46-30 in Week 3 by Howard, then 33-29 in Week 4, per Football Outsiders
- Cohen out-touched Howard 20-11 in over Buccaneers
- Cohen drew a team-high eight targets in last game
One key thing to mention here is the fact that the Bears blew out the Buccaneers 48-10 which may have played a role in Howard’s reduced role. Even still, Cohen’s touchdown came in the second quarter, so he was obviously out there early and often. It’s also tough to ignore the young running back’s matchup against the Dolphins, which looks appealing.
Should You Start or Sit Tarik Cohen?
The Dolphins are just capable of being beaten by running backs in so many ways. Even if Cohen doesn’t dominate on the ground, as that’s not his game, Miami is tied for the second-most receiving touchdowns allowed to backs. I think you have to at least consider Cohen in a variety of leagues this week.
Fantasy owners should roll out Cohen in all 12-team or larger PPR (point-per-reception) leagues this week. I’d even put the Bears running back as a possible RB2 in many fantasy leagues, although I’d prefer him in the flex. The call on 10-team leagues is tougher, but if you’re dealing with bye week issues either at running back or the flex, Cohen is a fine filler.
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Tarik Cohen Fantasy: Should You Start or Sit the Bears WR in Week 6?