Three-Point Stance: Is Langford's predicted demise premature?

Ditka. Polish sausage. Deep dish. Andy Behrens. Nasal-y accents. Chicago is known for many things. Though the Cubs are making a strong case to win over the Windy City’s heart, the Bears remain at the center of the sports core. In this edition of ‘The Stance,’ Brad Evans and Liz Loza raise an Old Style and discuss fantasy prospects among the Monsters of the Midway.

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A lead balloon. That’s what Jeremy Langford has resembled over the last several weeks. Once a perceived Round 3 pick in 12-team formats in May, his ADP has slipped into the 60s. John Fox’s RBBC history and recent chatter Jordan Howard and Ka’Deem Carey will carve out sizable roles has Langford’s worth skidding. PICK ‘EM! Come year’s end, which Bears RB will be desired most: LANGFORD, HOWARD or CAREY?

Liz – HOWARD. Assuming that Langford would just step into Matt Forte’s role as a workhorse was short sighted. The Bears plan on employing a committee. They added the thickly-built Howard this past April to compensate for Langford’s lack of grit. A bruiser who can go between the tackles and doesn’t shy away from contact, Howard could see upwards of 10-12 touches per contest. He’ll do most of his work on early downs and at the goal line, which means gifting fake football owners (especially those in standard scoring leagues) with plenty of TDs.

For an additional 500+ words on the Bears backfield click here.

Brad – HOWARD. It’s hilarious there are some individuals who think because Langford went to Michigan St., a school known for it’s brawn and grit, that he’s somehow Le’Veon Bell the sequel. That perception, however, is not only misguided it borders on blatant incompetence.

Langford, despite a pair of stand out effort as the starter last fall, is an average at best rusher. He doesn’t break tackles and has the elusiveness of a parked Hyundai. Advanced analytics support this notion. Last season he ranked outside the TOP 75 in juke percentage, yards after contact and evaded tackles.

Howard isn’t particularly flashy or explosive (4.57 40-yard), but at 6-feet, 230 pounds, he possesses the strength to truck over would-be tacklers on tough interior runs. I suspect the rookie becomes Fox’s early-down/goal-line anchor in short order, relegating Langford to a 12-13 touch per game role. He’s being overlooked at his 152.5 (RB52) ADP. For the IU Product, a final line around 750-850 combined yard with 5-7 TDs shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Kevin White missed the entire 2015 season with a knee injury. Back in uniform and penciled in to start opposite Alshon Jeffery, OVER/UNDER receiving yards for the second-year “rookie” 929.5.

Liz – UNDER. I’m all in on White, as evidenced by last week’s Spin Doctors. But I’m also a realist. Coming out of college, one of the biggest knocks on the Mountaineer was his lack of finesse. An athletic freak in possession of ideal size, speed, and a monster catch radius, White is also a raw talent. I think he’ll come along relatively quickly, but it’s going to take some time. His fantasy points are likely to come more from TDs than yards. I have him projected to catch 63 balls for 882 yards and 6 TDs. Those numbers would allow him to finish as a middle-of-the-road WR3 in fantasy, making him a decent value in the late seventh round of 12-team drafts.

Brad – UNDER. On the surface, White is a well-built receiver. His wide catch radius, plus size (6-foot-3, 215-pounds) and 4.35 40-yard dash has scout salivary glands working overtime. It’s understandable why he’s drawn comparisons to Dez Bryant and Andre Johnson.

But let’s be real. It’s doubtful, after missing the entire 2015 season and given the limited route tree he ran at West Virginia, he will become a statistical monster in what is essentially his first year. The learning curve is wide folks. He may come on like gangbusters late in the year, but it’s conceivable he tallies numbers around 60-850-6, a far cry from the proposed number above.

Blessed with the most smug face in the league, Jay Cutler is always under constant heat whether from the Chicago media, Bears fanbase or fantasy community. Discounted as a result, is “His Smugness” OVERVALUED, UNDERVALUED or PROPERLY VALUED at his 167.8 (QB23) ADP?

Liz – UNDERVALUED. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Cutty is the twenty-fifth QB coming off of the board… behind guys like Brock Osweiler and Joe Flacco. That’s a little harsh. He’s certainly more proven than Brock, and Blue Hen Joe is eight months removed from ACL surgery.

A top-twelve play in four of the eight weeks Alshon Jeffery started (and the fourteenth best fantasy player at the position during that time), Cutler averaged nearly 245 yards per contest. Surprisingly, that’s more receiving yards per game than his cheesy rival, Aaron Rodgers. Of course, Rodgers owned the end zone, whereas Cutler struggled to convert in the red area of the field. That efficiency and subsequent TD total should be helped with Jeffery back to health and the addition of the aforementioned White.

Yes, Adam Gase leaving is a blow… but Cutty deserves to be ranked among the top-twenty starting signal-callers in 2016. He’s a steal in 2QB formats at his current draft price.

Brad – UNDERVALUED. Many feel the Bears defense will advance in Year 2 under Fox. The secondary featuring Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter, though, leave much to be desired. However, upgrades at LB should offer some respectability.

Smokin’ Jay may not warrant QB1 honors, but on roughly 520-550 pass attempts, he should penetrate the position’s top-20, especially with Jeffery and White on the field.

Bull rush Brad @YahooNoise and Liz @LizLoza_FF on Twitter.