Chicago Bears wide receiver Byron Pringle is coming off a career year in 2021. Will the veteran prove to be a steal in fantasy football this year? What is Pringle’s fantasy outlook, and where does his current ADP sit heading into 2022 fantasy football drafts?
Byron Pringle’s fantasy outlook for 2022
Playing one of the least talented offensive units in the league can be a blessing or a curse. After spending three seasons in Kansas City, the 28-year-old Pringle has the opportunity to earn a starting job and help outproduce expectations. He caught 42 passes for 568 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Going from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to Justin Fields and Luke Getsy is an obvious downgrade. For as talented as Fields is, this is a young unit and coaching staff. But if Pringle can establish himself as a trustworthy target, the only player who is guaranteed in the receiving room to get more targets is Darnell Mooney.
Pringle can play in the slot or out wide. Barring any surprises, he, Mooney, and rookie Velus Jones should get the majority of snaps. Pringle could benefit from a scheme more catered to producing easy looks, as only four of his receptions and 60 yards came on play-action passes in 2021.
Getsy should try to get Pringle in open space often. He’s a solid athlete at 6’1″ and 201 pounds. He created the second-most separation per target but also the 12th-most drops (seven) last year.
Consistency will win Pringle more opportunities within the offense. The volume of pass attempts will be critical for whether his upside warrants a fantasy roster spot or not. If he makes the most of the opportunity, he can be a lower-end Flex option on a mediocre passing game.
How the Bears’ depth chart impacts Byron Pringle’s fantasy projection for the season
Chicago loaded up on unproven receivers as they hope for one to emerge as a complementary piece. That’s not a bad strategy for a cap-strapped, rebuilding roster. It’s hard to see one of Equanimeous St. Brown, N’Keal Harry, or Dante Pettis earning a bigger role than Pringle based on their careers and skill sets.
The X-factor in the offense is tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet was impressive in 2021, catching 60 passes for 612 yards but zero touchdowns. If he has a positive touchdown regression as I’d expect since Fields is such a talented passer, that eats into Pringle’s potential production.
It’s hard to be too optimistic about the Bears and their passing game for fantasy managers. There’s raw talent, but this team is largely made up of young players and castoffs. The defense will be bad and fail to put the unit in advantageous situations.
The best-case scenario is for Pringle to become the bona fide No. 2 target within the unit and be a red-zone favorite of Fields. Getting to eight touchdowns would make him rosterable. Short of that, Pringle is a low-ceiling flier for the end of the bench.
Pringle’s ADP for 2022
The Bears have yet to find a true complementary piece amongst their young corps of receivers, meaning Pringle is in line for a bigger role once he’s back from a quad injury. The team should find veteran help off waivers after roster cuts, though, making Pringle a wait-and-see option in deeper leagues.
For example, the addition of someone like Darius Slayton could harm Pringle’s value even more.
With an ADP of No. 278 overall and WR95, Pringle isn’t being drafted often, and it’s for good reason. But he is a better value than some of those around him. Be on the lookout for his target share early in the season since he’s far more likely to be a waiver wire addition than worthy draft pick.
