Dynasty Steal: Bears’ Rookie Luther Burden III Poised to Explode—Fantasy Managers Are All-In!

Fantasy football managers in dynasty leagues fell in love with Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze before drafts last year. Odunze was widely considered the No. 3 rookie in dynasty formats after he was the No. 3 receiver off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Odunze went ninth overall to the Bears. In his rookie year, he mostly delivered, finishing with 54 catches and 734 receiving yards. Odunze was ranked in the top seven rookie receivers in both categories.

But surely, the Bears can't produce another top wideout immediately out of the draft. This is the Bears we're talking about -- the franchise that's never had a 4,000-yard passer.

This ain't your father's Bears, though, and Chicago has another rookie receiver worth monitoring -- not as a No. 3 overall pick in dynasty formats -- but as a top 15 selection.

With the No. 14 pick in a PPR rookie dynasty draft, the second selection of the second round, our mock draft has Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III coming off the board.

Pick 2.01: WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears

One of the biggest keys in preparation of any fantasy football draft is identifying which teams will have the great offenses in the NFL. Then, managers should target as many players on those units as possible.

In dynasty leagues, managers are not just trying to find the great offenses for this season but for several years from now.

Could the Bears be on the verge of entering that conversation as one of the best offenses in the NFL?

It's not a crazy notion, mainly for two reasons -- new head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams.

As Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Johnson led Detroit to offensive heights it hadn't reached since the 1950s. Last season, the Lions had their best offensive season of the Super Bowl era, finishing first in points and second in yards.

That's a lot of fantasy production. While Johnson had plenty of talent in Detroit to help him, the Bears are assembling a group that Johnson can thrive with too.

That is, as long as he has the right quarterback.

Williams had a bit of a rocky rookie campaign, posting a 62.5% completion percentage with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He averaged only 6.3 yards per attempt.

Part of that low yards per pass average was his low completion percentage. But he was also ranked 29th among eligible quarterbacks in yards per completion. Finally, Williams led the NFL with 68 sacks.

But pundits are still convinced Williams is the answer in Chicago. Johnson, one of the brightest offensive minds in the league, has that belief. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the job.

Williams has the offensive weapons to be successful. The Bears are bringing back Odunze along with No. 1 wideout DJ Moore and running back D'Andre Swift. They also added receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency.

Before drafting Burden in the second round, the Bears also added tight end Colston Loveland.

Burden could find it difficult to get on the field as a rookie. Even while playing, he could be the third or fourth option on most passing plays.

But any dynasty manager looking for a rookie receiver in the second round on potentially the league's next great offense doesn't have to look any further than Burden. He could be a major factor on one of the NFL's top developing offenses over the second half of the decade.

Burden also has big-play potential at the next level. It might not take many targets for him to make an impact as a rookie.

In 38 games at Missouri, Burden posted 192 receptions for 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2023, he averaged 14.1 yards per catch.

"Missouri exploited Burden’s yards-after-catch talent with a barrage of short throws, but NFL teams are much more likely to diversify his usage, activating his complete skill set and big-play potential," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "The production against top teams was uneven at times but so was Missouri’s quarterback play. Burden checks several priority boxes that typically foreshadow an impressive NFL career."