In April, the Chicago Bears left no doubt about how they are approaching their immediate future: score in bunches. They drafted Caleb Williams a year ago. They brought in Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick this year before doubling down on the pass catcher upgrade with Missouri’s Luther Burden III with the 39th selection.
Clearly, this team wants to give Williams every chance to succeed at a high level in his second season, and it’s our job to forecast just how much of a role they will put on the shoulders of their newest high-pedigree receiver.
Luther Burden III’s Fantasy Outlook
I’ll address rookie tight ends in the Loveland profile, but the learning curve for the receiver position hasn’t proven prohibitive for the select few who are truly ready for the professional game.
Last season alone, we saw three first-year wideouts average north of 15 points per game, and none of them were the WR ranked highest in the class by most (Malik Nabers was WR6, Brian Thomas Jr. was WR11, and Ladd McConkey was WR16). In four of the past five seasons, we’ve seen multiple players reach that threshold, and Burden, as the fifth receiver taken in the 2025 draft, could be next in line regarding immediate success.
Screw it, Luther Burden highlights pic.twitter.com/BFw5WHlIf2
— Harrison Graham (@HGrahamNFL) July 31, 2025
I’m not worried about Burden’s skill set, which is why I’ve penciled him in as a top-50 receiver. His athletic profile is elite, and his ability to catch the ball away from his body projects very well at the professional level.
In college, he could stretch the field and pick up yardage in mass with the ball in his hands. Can he do both from the jump against NFL-level competition?
That remains to be seen, but having multiple outs is undoubtedly a positive. Suppose you’re willing to bet on Burden in a redraft setting (it should go without saying that he’s a hot commodity in dynasty formats, as he gets the rare opportunity to develop alongside a quarterback who is doing the same). In that case, you must be confident that he can earn volume.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
In 2024, DJ Moore reached double figures in PPR points 13 times, and all other Chicago receivers totaled nine such games. If we take for granted that Moore will be the top target earner in this offense, the throughline for consistent production is a little thin unless Williams truly develops into a top-10 pocket passer in the sport.
On the plus side, Keenan Allen is no longer in the mix, and he was responsible for five of the top-10 Bear WR games a year ago. I’m confident that Burden is capable of producing at a high level. Still, I fear his season-end stat line will look more valuable than what he realistically provides fantasy managers with.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Burden’s raw ability will overwhelm from the jump and allow him to emerge as a weekly option in all formats. More likely, I believe, he will be a random number generator you hope to get right when pressed to plug him in.
Frank Ammirante’s Luther Burden III Fantasy Projection
Luther Burden is a talented rookie who put up 1,212 yards as a sophomore at Missouri before slowing down to 676 yards as a junior. This is an explosive player who can generate yards after the catch at a high rate. Since he’s been hand-picked by the new Bears coaching staff led by Ben Johnson, you have to be intrigued by his upside.
Still, this is a crowded WR room for the Bears. You also have a 10th overall pick at tight end in Colston Loveland. That makes it difficult for Burden to emerge in his rookie year. However, this is exactly the type of uncertainty that you want to lean into, since you can get Burden at a nice value. It’s the right type of upside stash that you want to have on your bench.
I prefer Burden more in redraft than in Best Ball, since you don’t have to worry about taking a zero in this type of format. Your priority here is to stash upside.
