What I’ve Learned So Far – NFC North

We’re about a third of the way through the fantasy football regular season, here’s what I’ve learned so far in the NFC North.

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NFC North

Chicago Bears
The Bears came out on fire with a 59-point barrage in Carolina, but were up and down after Caleb Williams’ injury.  The good news is, Williams is back, and so is the Bears’ offense.  D’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Colston Loveland were mostly quiet in his absence. However, that changed after Williams returned. Swift had two more TDs, bumping his total up to six!  Burden and Loveland bounced back with strong games.  As long as Williams can stay healthy, I expect both of them to do well.  I wrote in my article addition with FantasyPros that they were two buy low targets I would be trying to trade for. Kyle Monangai’s injury is Roschon Johnson’s gain.  Johnson showcased his skills versus the Falcons with 80 total yards and a TD.  He could be an option in larger leagues for those who need a RB.

Detroit Lions
Like I thought, the Lions’ defense has been brutal. This has forced Detroit to pass a lot, which is great for fantasy players and one reason why I wanted as many Lions as I could draft in August. Jared Goff is having a great season and he could have been had for a song in drafts this past summer. Jahmyr Gibbs has been his usual awesome self. However, the loss of Isiah Pacheco looms large. Can Gibbs last the season or will he wear down? So far, so good, but I know Lions’ GM Brad Holmes has mentioned in the past that he does not want to overwork Gibbs. I don’t know if Amon-Ra St. Brown has been officially knighted as a saint, but he should be. He’s been a consistent force for those who were shrewd enough to draft him with their 1st round pick. One of my WR predictions to do well in 2026, Jameson Williams, finally had a decent game. It could have been even better had Williams not dropped a long pass that would have likely gone for a TD versus the Panthers. He should have more good weeks given the nature of the Lions’ poor defense. TE Sam LaPorta is having a bounce back season. Going into week 5, he was the 5th highest scoring TE in Half-Point PPR.

Minnesota Vikings
I thought the change in scenery would help Kyler Murray, but so far it’s taking longer than I had hoped for him to get rolling. He was hurt in Week 1 and has yet to light up fantasy scoreboards. Murray is still getting acclimated to a new playbook. Injuries to Jordan Mason and Justin Jefferson haven’t helped matters. Aaron Jones has taken over at RB and done a nice job as the lead back. But Jones has missed time in the past, so don’t count on the veteran holding up over the long-term. Mason is set to return from his injury, but keep an eye on the Vikings being active in the trade market. There’s chatter that they’re looking to make some moves. I read that they called the Eagles about Saquon Barkley before being rebuffed and also for Jalen Hurts before his blood clot issues surfaced. At WR, the Vikings were fortunate that Jefferson only missed one game. Jefferson’s stats have been solid, but not elite.  That said, he’s an exceptional talent who is capable of taking over games. One of my TE sleepers, T.J. Hockenson finally had a good week. It could have been even better in week 4 if he wouldn’t have taken a knee at the one-yard line of what would have been a sure TD. How do these things always happen to my picks? Ugh! Will Reichard’s five FGs in week 4 were all the points the Vikings could muster at home against the lowly Dolphins. He’s one of the better fantasy kickers. If someone in your league dropped Reichard during the Vikings’ bye week, he could be a shrewd pickup.

Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries. This reverberates throughout the entire offense. Jordan Love was solid against Dallas, but I’m skeptical on his fantasy prospects moving forward. Will he have time to pass? The Cowboys’ pass rush is nothing to write home about so that’s not the best litmus test.  Can Love last over the course of a long season as the hits on him continue to pile up? I’m not sure. The Josh Jacobs situation is still very fluid. Jacobs is expected to be removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt List and active this week, but they also reserve the right to put him back there if they see the disturbing video of him and his girlfriend. When asked on whether Jacobs would start this week versus Detroit, Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur was noncommittal. Unfortunately, MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson haven’t been able to take advantage of Jacobs’ absence. Neither has made much of a fantasy impact. At WR, Christian Watson has managed to stay healthy so far. Seriously, what are the odds considering a bunch of players are hurt, yet, one of the more injury prone players is healthy? Trying to predict this stuff as a fantasy analyst in the summer is maddening sometimes. Matthew Golden has taken a step forward like I thought he might. The talented second year WR reminds me of a poor man’s Tyreek Hill. He has blazing speed and runs crisp routes. I think the Packers found something here. At TE, Tucker Kraft is off to a slow start. That’s not surprising. Kraft was coming off major reconstructive knee surgery. I doubt Kraft will be 100% all season, but I expect him to do better as he gets further removed from his surgery. Somewhere in Florida, Stiles is basking in the sun, celebrating the Packers’ Sunday night victory over the Cowboys.

-Mark Ringo

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