It feels as if Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has been around forever, but this is just his age-28 season, and it could be his best, given this franchise’s recent commitment to offense.
Some will argue that the distribution of targets could hurt Moore’s bottom line more than an increase in quality of look helps him. Others will salivate at the idea of drafting the WR1 in a top-10 offense at a discount.
Where do the numbers suggest you should land in terms of that conversation?
DJ Moore’s Fantasy Outlook
Moore spent the first five years of his career buried in Carolina and the past two in Chicago with a team trying to find its direction, so it’s possible you’re not fully aware of just how productive of a fantasy asset he’s been.
Let me help.
- He’s one of five players with at least 95 catches in the past two seasons.
- He’s one of three players (Travis Kelce and Davante Adams being the others) with at least 115 targets earned in each of the past six seasons
YAC Monsters 😱
2024 WR/TE Leaders by Total Yards After The Catch
1. Ja’Marr Chase (797)
2. Khalil Shakir (615)
3. DJ Moore (603)
4. Brock Bowers (599)
5. Brian Thomas Jr. (572)
6. CeeDee Lamb (545)
7. Trey McBride (543) pic.twitter.com/bA0HlFlhbQ— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) July 2, 2025
Moore is a rock-solid player, and while he may not come with league-winning upside, his floor is superior to just about any player at the position that isn’t going in the first two rounds.
Raw volume aided a viable finish a season ago while Caleb Williams took his lumps (second-worst season in terms of fantasy production relative to target expectation of his career) and created low floors for his WR1 (Weeks 8-10, zero top-55 finishes and a total of 80 scoreless yards on 18 targets across three favorable matchups).
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Even in an uneven season, Moore gave his managers three top-10 finishes in 2024 and has averaged 138 targets since joining the Bears. Does he get to that total in 2025 with reinforcements (rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III) on the way?
Probably not, but I have no qualms in penciling him in for 80+ catches and 1,000+ yards. He averaged just 9.9 yards per catch a season ago, something that I envision bouncing back closer to his career average of 13.5 due to the gravity a better supporting cast will provide and the development under center.
You can swing big on a highly variant receiver in this Round 3-4 range if you’d like.
Maybe you hit big and it carries your team to high levels.
But maybe not. And if you get burned by a pick this early, making the playoffs is now an uphill battle. I’m thrilled to avoid that risk with a player like Moore. I’ll roll the dice in the second half of the draft, and the risk/reward equation swings more in my favor.
Dan Fornek’s DJ Moore Fantasy Projection
There was hope coming into 2024 that drafting Caleb Williams would continue D.J. Moore’s ascent from an underrated wide receiver to a perennial WR1 in fantasy. Instead, the Bears’ offense was a mess, and the veteran receiver regressed statistically.
Moore followed up his WR9 finish in 2023 with a WR27 finish in 2024, averaging just 14.0 fantasy points per game even though he increased his targets (140) and receptions (98) from the previous season.
Unfortunately for Moore, Chicago’s passing game languished behind a poor offensive line, leading to many screens and inefficient passes. The result was decreased receiving yards (966) and touchdowns (6).
MORE: Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
Chicago’s offense will be hard in 2025, making it excessively difficult to rank Moore in fantasy. On one hand, Chicago got the prize of the coach hiring cycle in Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and spent both cap space and draft capital to upgrade the offensive line.
On the other hand, Chicago also invested heavily in their pass-catching group, drafting a first-round tight end (Colston Loveland) and a second-round wide receiver (Luther Burden III).
The result has been a training camp in which Moore is handling a more diverse role in the offense, even taking carries from the backfield. It is good that the new coaching staff views him as a weapon, but it does complicate his role in fantasy football.
Historically, Moore has been a rock-solid WR2 in fantasy. Unfortunately, that’s where he’ll remain, facing a new coaching staff, heavy target competition, and an offense set to rotate players throughout the season.
