Today, we keep the dynasty target train moving as we break down our next recommended dynasty target, Khalil Herbert!
That’s how I envisioned Bears incumbent running back David Montgomery reacting to viewing fellow teammate Khalil Herbert’s performance in 2021 compared to his own.
Eerily the same but different.
That is because when it came to efficiency, Herbert and Montgomery, for all intents and purposes, were the same player. Both excelled at running the ball when given the opportunity. Both were similar in production from a fantasy standpoint in half PPR scoring when given lead back duties. Despite one tiny difference in overall efficiency, you were basically given the same running back in 2021.
However, with the Matt Nagy regime no longer in charge in the “Windy City”, new head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy have plans for redesigning the Bears’ offense which may or may not service BOTH running backs. Therefore, before we start digging into what exactly makes Herbert such an important target for your dynasty rosters let’s take a look at his background and EXACT situation on the Bears.
Background
Khalil Herbert goes untouched into the end zone! #DaBears
— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2021
????: #CHIvsSEA on FOX
????: NFL app pic.twitter.com/xp41gSkjFi
The 2021 6th-round pick out of Virginia Tech splashed on the scene with the Chicago Bears mostly due to his special teams performance early on in the season but quickly stepped into starting duties during his rookie year due to injuries to David Montgomery and Damien Williams prior to Week 5. From Weeks 5-8, Herbert averaged 19.5 ruATT/game, 86 ruYARDS/game, and 12.3 half-PPR pts/game. While the latter stat isn’t Earth-shattering in terms of production, the commitment to him with so many rushing attempts IS, and the fact that he was able to be so productive from a real football standpoint playing on a one dimensional offensive unit like the Bears had speaks to his skill set and talent.
In fact, while both Herbert and David Montgomery were neck-in-neck in terms of efficiency on the season, it was Herbert who ranked higher in several efficiency metric categories than Montgomery, albeit not by much:
That being said despite Herbert’s slight advantage over Montgomery in rushing efficiency, it was Montgomery’s efficiency advantage in the receiving game that showcased how much of a total package he was compared to Herbert in 2021:
Current Situation
The last time I checked, and it has been a minute, only one running back can carry the ball on a given play during a game.
Yes? I thought so.
That’s exactly what you saw in 2021 as when David Montgomery was healthy he was the running back who saw 17+ touches a game. There was none of this Running Back By Committee nonsense going on. The big question heading into 2022, however, is how will Luke Getsy deploy his running backs in this wide-zone/West Coast/Shannahan-style running scheme? Coaches of the Shannahan coaching tree aren’t shy about rotating their running backs in order to maximize the effectiveness of the running game. That being said one would have to think Bears’ coaches would want to emphasize the usage of the player who displays the most well-roundedness of play, something that starter David Montgomery showed over Khalil Herbert in 2021.
Outlook
So after all that why do I think Herbert will make a fantastic dynasty target for you?
Simply put he’s essentially David Montgomery 2.0.
With extra practice in the offseason, Herbert can easily close the gap in efficiency in the receiving game and push Montgomery for playing time in 2022, AND with Montgomery playing during a contract year, if Herbert is able to improve upon his play from his rookie year the Bears might be inclined to let Montgomery walk in free agency and hand the keys to the car to Herbert.
According to DLF, Herbert, in Startups, is going off the board as the RB51 right around the likes of other running backs such as Kenneth Gainwell and Darrell Henderson. In terms of trade value, in 1-QB Dynasty leagues Herbert’s value dips near the low 2022 3rd round pick. In SuperFlex leagues, a 2023 4th rounder seems to be the going rate for this running back with SERIOUS upside and potential to be a starting running back in the NFL in 2023.
In other words, go acquire this player for your dynasty rosters ASAP before his asking price gets to be unreasonable.
Thanks for checking out our Dynasty Target article on Khalil Herbert. Over the course of the summer make sure to click here for more Dynasty Target articles discussing players for you to acquire this season!
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