We're entering the final leg of the offseason, which means that training camps are just a few short weeks away. For many NFL fans, that means it’s time to start thinking about fantasy football.
The Chicago Bears, due to their lack of success on offense, haven’t been as prominent in the discussion as some other teams in the league. Their defense is always worth drafting, and there are always a few offensive players to consider in the later rounds.
However, it’s been a while since the Bears had an offense loaded with players that fantasy owners want. They may even have a sleeper of two that will catch the eyes of folks looking for a league-winning move in the final rounds.
Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke recently dubbed his top five fantasy sleeper wide receivers, which included Bears second-round rookie Luther Burden III.
While DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are expected to be quarterback Caleb Williams' top targets, there are also other pass catchers at various positions like tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, as well as running back D'Andre Swift. All of this talent might open up the field for Burden, who has proven he can make plays during his collegiate career.
Burden has the potential to serve a key role during his rookie season at one of the most important positions in Ben Johnson's offense: Slot receiver, where Burden has thrived and where Amon-Ra St. Brown saw a ton of success in Detroit.
"Burden spent his college career primarily playing out of the slot as a low-average-target-depth receiver," wrote Jahnke. "He joins a Chicago Bears team with D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, who have spent most of their careers on the outside. Odunze played 33% of his snaps from the slot last season, while Moore has never logged more than 31% of his snaps from the slot. The Bears made two free-agent additions who have primarily played out of the slot in Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay. Still, both were signed to low-risk one-year contracts, and Burden should surpass them on the depth chart relatively quickly."
Jahnke also mentioned Williams' development as a key piece to this puzzle. It also has a caveat that Burden needs to earn more targets to warrant a spot on a fantasy team, due to other talented players on Chicago's roster. If Johnson does his usual two-receiver sets, Burden may suffer from that.
However, there is no denying the pass-catching talent. Burden was one of Missouri's top two wideouts for three straight seasons. His numbers over that time have him in the same stratosphere as guys like Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr., Ladd McConkey, and new Bears' teammate Odunze.
If he ends up being a fantasy sleeper, that will also be good news for the Bears offense. That likely means that Williams is leading the charge on a successful offense where everyone gets a chance to shine. When you come up to draft in the latter stages, and you may need a bench wide receiver or an extra FLEX guy, and Burden is worth considering.
