Even with a 22.5% target share last year, Kmet finished 16th among tight ends in PPR points per game (8.7). Half of his six games with 10-plus PPR last season came with Darnell Mooney sidelined, and nearly 30% of his PPR Fantasy points were scored by touchdowns. That's more than enough to call him a TD-reliant player, particularly on a Bears squad that added D.J. Moore and Robert Tonyan to their receiving group, further minimizing Kmet's opportunities including in the red zone. Challenging early-season matchups further cloud Kmet's potential. You might be best to avoid Kmet in drafts and instead pick him up off waivers in the event he's more productive than expected.
The arrival of D.J. Moore hasn't hurt Kmet as much as we expected. His role looks like that of a low-end TE1, and the matchup in Week 3 against the Chiefs could make him even better than that.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Another steady performance
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Kmet caught four passes on six targets for 38 yards in the Bears' 27-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Kmet was third on the team with six targets after tying for the team lead with seven in Week 1. Although the Bears have not had much offensive success through two weeks, Kmet's volume could give him a reasonable weekly scoring floor.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Start
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The Buccaneers allowed the most receptions to tight ends in Week 1 when T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver combined for 11 catches for 67 yards on 12 targets for the Vikings. That bodes well for Kmet, who had a solid Week 1 performance against Green Bay with five catches for 44 yards on seven targets. Kmet should remain a popular target for Justin Fields in this matchup, and Kmet is worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Quiet in preseason finale
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Kmet finished without a catch on one target in Saturday's preseason game against Buffalo.
Kmet played three drives and had his one catch wiped out by a penalty on a teammate. He's locked in as Chicago's top tight end ahead of a Week 1 matchup with Green Bay, joining WRs DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney as one of the top receiving options for third-year QB Justin Fields.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Back at practice Thursday
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Kmet (undisclosed) was practicing in full Thursday, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Kmet left Wednesday's practice early due to an unspecified issue, but Lieser reports Kmet's Thursday practice looked "normal." It sounds like a non-issue for the Bears' top tight end ahead of the 2023 NFL campaign.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Leaves practice early
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Kmet departed Wednesday's practice due to an unspecified injury, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Kmet exited the field with the assistance of a cart, though it's possible the tight end was helped to the locker room as a matter of precaution. The 24-year-old recently inked a four-year extension and looks locked into a key role on offense for the Bears, with the potential to emerge as one of Justin Fields' favorite targets in 2023.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Potential receiving weapon
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Kmet could be second on the Bears in receptions this season, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.
After signing a big contract extension, Kmet is expected to be a core part of the Bears offense. He also provides the team with a big target in the middle of the field, and there are no established high-volume wideouts on the roster aside from DJ Moore. Expect the team to use plenty of two tight end packages, and Robert Tonyan will play quite a bit, but Kmet has a chance to be a featured part of the passing game.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Inks big four-year extension
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Kmet agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Bears on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kmet's new deal reportedly includes $32.8 million guaranteed and $20 million in new first-year cash, a nice payday for the 2020 second-round pick. The move provides some additional surrounding stability for budding star Justin Fields, who showed a solid rapport with Kmet in 2022, as the tight end compiled a 50-544-7 receiving line in 17 contests. Chicago added Robert Tonyan to the tight end room this offseason, but Kmet's extension is a clear sign that the team is committed to him as its top option at the position in the long term.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Gets new backup
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Kmet could lose some snaps after the Bears added Robert Tonyan in free agency Thursday, Adam Jahns of The Athletic reports.
Kmet played at least 91 percent of the snaps in 14 games last year. Although that percentage may not dip much, Tonyan is familiar with the Bears offense from his days in Green Bay, when Chicago's offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was his coach. Kmet should retain close to a full snap share, but with Tonyan having caught at least 52 passes in two of the last three seasons, Kmet could lose occasional targets. However, this move should not have much impact on Kmet's fantasy value.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Underwhelms in 2022
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Kmet caught four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 29-13 loss to the Vikings in Week 18 and ended the season with 50 receptions, 544 yards and seven touchdowns over 17 games played.
Although Kmet easily set his career high in touchdowns, it was a disappointing season after he had 612 yards in 2021. Of course, the passing offense was broken for much of the season, and at no point was it a high-volume passing attack. He went on a scoring binge between Weeks 8 and 10 with five touchdowns, but he then failed to score over the following five games. His future fantasy value will be dependent upon whether the Bears will be able to improve their overall passing attack and is under contract with the team through the 2023 season.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Sit
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I'm nervous to start Kmet with Justin Fields (hip) out in Week 18 against Minnesota. Kmet scored a touchdown in Week 17 at Detroit, but he's been held to 35 yards or less in five of his past six games. He also has just one touchdown over that span. He played Week 12 at the Jets without Fields, and Trevor Siemian connected with Kmet for just three catches for 27 yards on six targets. I don't expect Kmet to be much better than that with Nathan Peterman under center against the Vikings.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Salvages fantasy day with touchdown
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Kmet caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Kmet scored in the first quarter, but he was targeted twice the rest of the way in a game during which the Bears consistently struggled to move the chains. He's scored a touchdown in four of his last seven games, and he should continue to be a borderline top-12 tight end next week at home against the Vikings.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Start
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Kmet has combined for just 13 PPR points in his past two games against the Eagles and Bills, but he should rebound this week at Detroit. In Week 10 against the Lions, Kmet had four catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets. For the season, Detroit is No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Contrarian DFS Play (TE Preview)
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Kmet hasn't been very good lately, so I don't expect his roster rate to be very high. But the Bears and Lions have the highest over/under on the slate and Kmet has been very good against this defense, as have most tight ends this season. With a lowered cost and roster rate, he's the perfect play to fade Kelce and Evan Engram this week.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Leads team in receptions
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Kmet caught five passes for 27 yards in the Bears' 35-13 loss to the Bills on Sunday.
Kmet led the Bears with six targets, but the Bills were excellent at keeping the Chicago pass catchers from gaining much yardage after the catch. He's failed to reach 36 yards in four of his last five games, but he'll face a Detroit defense in Week 17 that he posted 74 yards and scored twice against earlier in the year. That past performance will make him worth consideration when setting fantasy lineups next week.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Sit
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Kmet struggled in Week 15 against the Eagles with four catches for 25 yards on five targets, and now he has a tough matchup in Week 16 against Buffalo. The Bills are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and Buffalo is the only team yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown this year. Kmet hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 10, and he's been held to six PPR points or less in three of his past four games.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Team-high four catches in Week 15
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Kmet caught four of five targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Eagles.
Kmet led the team in targets and catches, but the tight end failed to break free for a gain longer than seven yards. A five-touchdown surge over a three-game span from Weeks 8-10 accounts for all of Kmet's scores in 31 appearances since the start of last season. Kmet and the Bears will host the Bills in Week 16.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: TEs to Start
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Kmet is the No. 1 option in the passing game for the Bears and Justin Fields, and Kmet had 13 PPR points in Week 13 against Green Bay, which was the first game without Darnell Mooney (ankle). This isn't an easy matchup for Kmet against the Eagles, who have allowed just three touchdowns to tight ends this year. But I'm counting on Kmet seeing a decent amount of volume in this game since he has at least six targets in four of his past five outings, and that should help him produce, even if it's during garbage time.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Kmet should see a target increase with Darnell Mooney out. Pair that with the favorable matchup and likelihood that the Bears will have to throw to stay in the game, and he's a palatable top-10 Fantasy tight end who I'd start over Gerald Everett, Tyler Conklin and Hayden Hurst.
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Bears' Cole Kmet: Limited production in loss
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Kmet caught two passes for 27 yards in the Bears' 31-10 loss to the Jets on Sunday.
With Justin Fields (shoulder) sitting out, Trevor Siemian threw six passes to Kmet, leading the team. But with the Bears struggling to move the ball after their first few drives, there was very little production in the passing game to go around. It's unlikely that Kmet reaches his weekly fantasy value until Fields returns to the lineup.
