The Chicago Bears are in a precarious spot going into their Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
That’s because the Bears won’t have starting quarterback Caleb Williams in the lineup as he deals with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that is expected to sideline him three to four weeks.
Making matters worse, Chicago’s QB2, Tyson Bagent, suffered a concussion last week and while he has been cleared, he won’t be starting this week because, according to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, Bagent didn’t have enough time to prepare during the week.
That means No. 3 quarterback Case Keenum will be making his first start since 2023 and the 38-year-old amounts to a further downgrade for Chicago’s offense.
Keenum is expected to start Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Jay Glazer, as relayed by Harrison Graham.
Caleb Williams (hamstring) has already been ruled out, while Tyson Bagent cleared the concussion protocol and returned to practice Saturday.
Despite Bagent being available, he will reportedly serve as Keenum’s backup.
The 38-year-old Keenum has not played in a regular-season game since 2023, when he made two starts for Houston and completed 34 of 53 passes for 291 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.
Monday would mark the 67th regular-season start of his career.
Keenum is only a desperation option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues after such a long layoff, while the change under center adds some uncertainty for Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Chicago’s passing game against Philadelphia.
Knowing all of that, should wide receiver Rome Odunze, tight end Colston Loveland or running back D’Andre Swift be in your fantasy football lineup for Week 3?
It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for Odunze, who has posted 95 yards and zero touchdowns over two games, which leaves him ranked as WR63 overall in fantasy points per game going into Monday night, according to Fantasy Pros.
Add in the fact that the Bears are starting Keenum and will face an Eagles defense that has a talented secondary that has been fairly stingy against wide receivers with the 13th-fewest fantasy points per contest given up to the position and that’s even more ammunition to sit Odunze this week.
Verdict: Sit.
We had Loveland pegged as an elite fantasy football tight end going into this season, and rightfully so, he was fantastic in the second half of 2025.
However, we’re seeing very different results in 2026, with the Bears tight end tallying just one catch for three yards on five targets in two contests.
That isn’t really Loveland’s fault, though, as Williams has admitted on multiple occasions he has simply missed his star tight end and the tape shows that.
While we’re hoping better days are ahead, chances are those days won’t be coming while Williams is sidelined with his injury.
Maybe Loveland rights the ship on Monday night, but we just can’t trust a backup quarterback to be the one to get Loveland on track, especially against an Eagles defense giving up the fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.
Verdict: Sit.
Admittedly, this is a dicey situation for Swift.
The Eagles are probably going to stack the box and challenge Keenum to beat them, and Philly has also been pretty tough on opposing backs, with the Eagles surrendering the 13th fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
But there’s also the argument that the Bears are going to lean on the run even more so than normal, and short passes to Swift are likely going to be plentiful as Chicago looks for some easy completions for Keenum.
While he has performed at an RB1 level this season, expect solid flex production instead from Swift.
Verdict: Start.
Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift has a lower overall floor and ceiling in Monday night’s home matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 27-year-old has been solid thus far in 2026, averaging nearly five yards per carry (4.97) on 34 totes across the first two contests.
Unfortunately, quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) will miss time, dropping the offense’s potency for now.
On the bright side, Swift was heavily involved in the passing game during Week 2 (five for 54) and could see his overall volume tick up with either Tyson Bagent (concussion) or Case Keenum at the helm.
Philadelphia’s defense isn’t enticing opposition, although they currently rank as a bottom-ten unit against the run, yielding 127 yards per game.
The former Georgia Bulldog’s value takes a hit in Week 3, but he’s still a solid option at the position.
Swift is RotoBaller’s PPR RB22 ahead of Monday Night Football.
Our PPR projections show that Case Keenum is projected to score 13.4 points this week while D’Andre Swift is projected to score 13.6 points.
