DJ Moore had a tough 2022 season in what wound up being his final year as a Carolina Panther. The Panthers traded him for a huge haul to the Chicago Bears. The Bears hope that Moore can help Justin Fields develop as AJ Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs, and others did for their respective quarterbacks. It’s a big ask, but the quintessential WR2 is up to the task. Could this finally be the year that Moore hits the WR1-tier status in fantasy? Or will it continue to be a string of strong years but ultimately wind up as a WR2?
2022 Season Recap
Moore had to deal with the carousel of Panthers’ quarterbacks. He never knew who would be throwing him passes from quarter to quarter. It was that bad. Despite all the struggles and the horrific coaching, Moore still had a pretty decent year. While his string of 1,100+ yardage seasons ended, he still had 888 yards on 63 receptions and 118 targets with seven touchdowns. He also factored in on the ground game with ten carries for 53 yards.
Moore is your prototypical WR2. He’s too good to finish worse than WR24, but he has never been on an elite enough offense to be a top-12 option. That was true last year, as he finished WR24 in PPR leagues. The advanced stats weren’t too kind on him, but I’m blaming that on the offense he was in. That should hopefully change with at least a stable quarterback situation in Chicago. Last year was solid, but hopefully, in 2023, Moore can get back on track.
2023 Season Projections
This year, Moore is the WR1 of the Chicago Bears. They traded a ton for him. He’s going to see the most targets on this roster by far. The Bears aren’t a pass-heavy offense. They run the ball, and they do it a ton. That limits the target upside for Moore. Since he isn’t likely to come close to 150+ targets, Moore is already handicapped. Combine that with potentially lackluster throws from Fields, and he could be in trouble. However, should he aid Fields’ development, there’s a chance Moore has a true breakout year and gets over 1,400 yards.
In this circumstance, I’m leaning towards Moore having another solid WR2 season. The Bears run too much. The targets won’t be there for Moore to have 90+ receptions like in 2021. The 26-year-old will dominate the Bears’ offense and do a ton for them. However, in fantasy, his upside is extremely limited. At least until we know how Fields does. Should Fields break out big time, then Moore could easily have 94 catches for 1,246 yards and nine touchdowns. That would be massive. However, the odds aren’t in his favor. Still, this is far superior to last year.
Long-Term Dynasty Outlook
Moore remains a tough dynasty player to value. His long-term outlook is murky because he’s tied to the mysterious Chicago Bears’ offense for the next few years. If Fields fails to develop, then Moore’s stuck on another bad offense in which he fails to do more than be your average WR2. If Fields excels, Moore can become a WR1 and be a player to build your dynasty team around. I wouldn’t be trading Moore away or for him. If you’re a contender and need a reliable WR2/3, grab Moore for a first and second-round pick. If you are rebuilding, hold onto Moore.
See if Fields develops in the first week or two and then sell extremely high on Moore. Moore is a star wide receiver in real life. In dynasty, he’s the best WR2 in the game. However, he isn’t going to win you a championship, at least not yet.
Make the smart call and only acquire him if you truly need a reliable third wide receiver as a contender. Or better yet, hold onto him and hope he has a big week one, and you can sell him for a ton of profit. Or do both, trade for him, and then sell high later on. At least you know that Moore’s value won’t ever be lower than it was with Carolina. He will still be a safe dynasty and fantasy option at wide receiver for the next four years.
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As always, May the Force be with You…
