Getty Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller led the Bears in touchdown catches last season. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears moved up to draft Anthony Miller in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, and the wide receiver out of Memphis did not disappoint his rookie season. He led the team in touchdowns with seven, and despite playing 15 games with an injured shoulder, he showed big-play capabilities.
Miller had offseason surgery to repair his shoulder and said this summer that he was primed to have a breakout season. His skills are obvious, and it seemed as though he’d be a solid number two fantasy receiver going into the season. Then, the season began…
Anthony Miller Fantasy Outlook: Will Bears WR Start to Produce ?
GettyChicago Bears Wide Receiver Anthony Miller has had a slow start to the 2019 season. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
In the Bears’ first game against the Packers, Miller was blanked. He didn’t catch a pass, and his snap count was suspiciously low. Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey said after the Green Bay game that he was planning on integrating Miller into the offense slowly this season, largely due to Miller missing a good deal of offseason work/workouts.
Week two, against Denver, Miller saw his snap count more than double, and he was targeted twice, catching one of those passes for a measly two yards. His stat sheet is a bit barren at present, and many fantasy owners are dropping him, or at least considering it. The question is: will Miller start to become a bigger part of this offense sooner or later?
Last season, Miller didn’t put up huge numbers, and he only scored touchdowns in back-to-back games once. He finished the year with 423 yards in 15 games and was targeted 54 times. He was always a threat to score, however, and with his hands, speed, and ability to win one-on-one battles down the field, his breakout is going to come. It just may take a few weeks.
Should You Keep Anthony Miller or Drop Him?
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 05: Anthony Miller #17 of the Chicago Bears warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on September 05, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Part of Miller’s lack of production this season is, as Furrey said, due to his reintegration into the offense. Another reason Miller hasn’t produced as much as expected is that the offense had to rely heavily on the run in their game plan against Denver.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s slow start is also a factor. As Trubisky goes, so will Miller–and so will the team, it seems. Nagy’s game plans will likely be relying primarily on short passes and runs, which may not be a good thing for Miller’s fantasy bottom line. That said, his production is most certainly going to go up, and he’s more than capable of turning a short pass into a big play–he showed that last season and all throughout college.
Final verdict: Miller feels like a racehorse just ready to break out of the gates. Don’t give up on him yet. Keep him stashed on your bench, at least until after week 4. If he hasn’t scored a TD by then, let him go. Also, watch what he does against a bad Washington defense week 3. In fact, if you’re sparse in the WR department, Miller just might get into the end zone against Washington. He’s certainly due.
READ NEXT: Allen Robinson Week 3 Fantasy Outlook: Stat or Sit WR Against Redskins?