Fantasy Index

header banner img
OUR FANTASY BASEBALL MAGAZINE IS BACK! PRE-ORDER NOW
Win here.

Around the NFL

Jordan Howard

Bears shopping starting running back

The Bears are reportedly shopping Jordan Howard, which makes sense. He's not really a fit for Matt Nagy's scheme in Chicago, which works better with running backs who are involved in the passing game. Debatable, though, if there's anywhere Howard actually fits well.

Howard doesn't offer much as a receiver. The Bears figured that out quickly last season. He caught 10 passes the first three games, and then that was mothballed. In the final 13 games, he caught just 10 passes -- no more than 2 in any contest. On those catches, he averaged just 7.3 yards, one of the worst figures among backs with at least 25 targets.

RUNNING BACKS, YARDS PER CATCH (25 TARGETS)
PlayerTmTgtRecYdsAvg
Kareem HuntKAN352637814.5
Cordarrelle PattersonNWE282124711.8
Adrian PetersonWAS262020810.4
Austin EkelerLAC533940410.4
Tarik CohenCHI917172510.2
Elijah McGuireNYJ311919310.2
Melvin GordonLAC66504909.8
Todd GurleyLAR81595809.8
Matt BreidaSFO31272619.7
Duke JohnsonCLE62474299.1
James ConnerPIT71554979.0
Kenyan DrakeMIA73534779.0
Jalen RichardOAK81686078.9
T.J. YeldonJAX78554878.9
David JohnsonARI76504468.9
Alvin KamaraNOR105817098.8
Tevin ColemanATL44322768.6
James WhiteNWE123877518.6
Leonard FournetteJAX26221858.4
Wendell SmallwoodPHI35282308.2
Christian McCaffreyCAR1241078678.1
Mark IngramNOR27211708.1
Saquon BarkleyNYG121917217.9
Aaron JonesGNB35262067.9
Jamaal WilliamsGNB41272107.8
Jaylen SamuelsPIT29261997.7
Alfred BlueHOU27201547.7
Dalvin CookMIN49403057.6
Nick ChubbCLE29201497.5
Ezekiel ElliottDAL95775677.4
Jordan HowardCHI26201457.3
Isaiah CrowellNYJ28211527.2
LeSean McCoyBUF46342387.0
Joe MixonCIN55432966.9
Phillip LindsayDEN47352416.9
Dion LewisTEN67594006.8
Kerryon JohnsonDET39322136.7
Nyheim HinesIND81634256.7
Lamar MillerHOU35251636.5
Latavius MurrayMIN26221416.4
Mike DavisSEA42342146.3
Giovani BernardCIN48352186.2
Marlon MackIND26171036.1
Peyton BarberTAM2920924.6

After those early chances in the passing game, he was strictly a runner. But even in that respect, while playing for a team that went 12-4, he wasn't impressive. He averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, better than only five backs who had at least 150 attempts last season.

RUNNING BACK RUSHING, 2018 (150 ATTEMPTS)
Player Team Att Yds Avg TD
Phillip Lindsay DEN 1921,0375.49
Matt Breida SF 1538145.33
Nick Chubb CLE 1929965.28
Melvin Gordon LAC 1758855.110
Saquon Barkley NYG 2611,3075.011
Christian McCaffrey CAR 2191,0985.07
Todd Gurley LA 2561,2514.917
Joe Mixon CIN 2371,1684.98
Derrick Henry TEN 2151,0594.912
Tevin Coleman ATL 1678004.84
Ezekiel Elliott DAL 3041,4344.76
Chris Carson SEA 2471,1514.79
Marlon Mack IND 1959084.79
Lamar Miller HOU 2109734.65
Alvin Kamara NO 1948834.614
Kareem Hunt KC 1818244.67
Frank Gore MIA 1567224.60
James Conner PIT 2159734.512
Sony Michel NE 2099314.56
Adrian Peterson WAS 2511,0424.27
Doug Martin OAK 1727234.24
Peyton Barber TB 2348713.75
Jordan Howard CHI 2509353.79
David Johnson ARI 2589403.67
Dion Lewis TEN 1555173.31
Alfred Blue HOU 1504993.32
LeSean McCoy BUF 1615143.23
LeGarrette Blount DET 1544182.75

Maybe a change of scenery helps. As a rookie in 2016, Howard looked like one of the league's better young running backs, rushing for 1,313 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

But at the moment, he looks like a one-dimensional back who's already put up the best numbers he'll manage in the NFL.

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index