Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift will miss Week 9’s action with a groin injury, which means rookie Kyle Monangai has a chance to be an adequate play in fantasy football. Selected in the seventh round, the Rutgers product quickly established himself as the team’s backup, but can he maintain his level of play with a full workload?
Kyle Monangai Fantasy Football Outlook After D’Andre Swift Injury
Kyle Monangai The Player
Before we discuss the matchup, we must first talk about Kyle Monangai as a player. Despite his underwhelming draft capital, the rookie was already eating into Swift’s workload before the groin injury. So far on the season, the Rutgers product has recorded 186 yards and one touchdown on 42 attempts, good for a solid 4.4 yards per attempt.
The raw numbers are respectable, and the advanced ones paint a similar picture. His 64.1 PFF grade is the 39th-best mark in the league out of 53 running backs, and his 3.38 yards created per touch ranks 25th in the league. Nobody is saying he’s the second coming of Adrian Peterson, but he has played well when given the opportunity.
Additionally, head coach Ben Johnson appears to be a fan of his. Monangai’s snap count has increased every week since the bye, peaking with a 46% snap share in Week 8’s loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
Perhaps the biggest weakness in his game is his abilities in the passing game, or lack thereof. Catching passes is a cheat code in fantasy football, especially in PPR leagues, and Monangai doesn’t have the skill set to demand targets. He has yet to record more than two receptions in an NFL game, and he never caught more than 14 passes in a season throughout his five-year college career.
Basically, Kyle Monangai is a solid runner whose ceiling is capped by a lack of involvement in the passing game. Players like this can be valuable in fantasy football, but will he have the right matchup in Week 9?
The Matchup And Projected Usage
Kyle Monangai and the Chicago Bears face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, which is one of the best matchups you can have in fantasy football. Cincinnati’s defense cannot stop anything, and the unit will probably be worse than usual with star defensive end Trey Hendrickson battling a hip injury. Given the matchup, Monangai should have no trouble finding open rushing lanes and has a decent shot of landing in the endzone once or twice.
Additionally, he should see a sizable chunk of the work. In addition to Swift, third-string running back Roschon Johnson will also miss this contest with a back injury. While emergency backs Travis Hunter and Deion Hankins will likely receive a few snaps, Monangai will see the vast majority of the work.
Ultimately, Kyle Monangai should be a good play for fantasy football this week. While his lack of pass-catching upside limits his ceiling, he should see most of the carries and be efficient with his opportunities. Don’t expect him to singlehandedly win your matchup, but he should be a rock-solid RB2 on the week.
Main Photo: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
