Tarik Cohen

Tarik Cohen a third down back in 2017?

Chicago Bears head coach John Fox told the media rookie running back Tarik Cohen's versatility makes him uniquely suited for a third-down role on offense" this season. "Well, he's a joker back," Fox said via ESPN. "I think third down, it's just another matchup, this game's about matchups. We weren't nearly as successful as we needed to be on third down a year ago, so people call it a joker back. It's got a lot of different names, but you see similar roles around the league that we really haven't had."

Fantasy Impact

Cohen, often referred to as the "human joystick," could be employed as Chicago's third down back in 2017. The Sproles-esqe rusher will likely be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at the pro level, especially as a receiver out of the backfield. Although Jordan Howard, Jeremy Langford and Benny Cunningham are currently slated ahead of him on the Bears' depth chart, Cohen should still garner fantasy value this season. Target him in the latter portion of fantasy drafts as a deep sleeper flex option.