Luther Burden III To The Chicago Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

With the No. 39 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Missouri WR Luther Burden III.

Luther Burden III Scouting Report:

After shining in his second season at Missouri (86/1,243/10), Burden experienced a regression in his statistics last year (61/676/6, with nine rushes for 115 yards and two touchdowns). He gained over 100 yards once (6/117/1) in 2024 while having a beast run over five matchups (8/117, 7/114/2, 10/177, 11/140/2, and 11/149) the previous season. Burden gained 14.1 yards per catch in 2023, compared to 11.1 yards per catch last year while playing with the same quarterback, Brady Cook. 

The Missouri Tigers featured him as a chain mover close to the line of scrimmage to increase his involvement in their offense and allow Burden to utilize his open-field running to make plays. He has a selfish side to his game, where his play isn’t as motivating when the ball isn’t going his way. Burden brings excellent hands with exceptional timing and finishing power in the deep passing game. He posted a 4.41 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine.

At the next level, Burden should excel on crossing patterns with the deep speed to take the top off a defense. His change of direction speed is excellent when running parallel to the line of scrimmage and turning up field when he sees daylight. He runs with wiggle and vision, making him a dangerous player after the catch. The next step in his development is improving his overall route running and focus. 

Luther Burden III Fantasy Football Outlook:

Caleb Williams is one happy quarterback. After snagging Colston Loveland in the first round, Chicago added another lethal weapon in the passing game by targeting Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III. Burden joins a crowded wide receiver room that already features DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Not to mention, the Bears employ two solid tight ends in fellow rookie Loveland and Cole Kmet.

Chicago has an embarrassment of riches on the offensive end, which could result in a smaller target share than Burden Dynasty owners were hoping for. However, he should emerge as a dominant force in the future, producing WR2 numbers in Dynasty formats. In 2025 redraft leagues, Burden is buried on the depth chart and shouldn't be viewed as more than a WR4/WR5.

Despite the appearance of a poor passing attack last season, the Bears’ wide receivers caught 233 passes (7th) for 2,531 yards (18th) and 16 touchdowns (17th) on 380 targets (5th). With better quarterback play and a longer passing window, Chicago may have a top-five passing offense in 2025.

Caleb Williams should deliver QB1 numbers in 2025 due to the plethora of weapons at his disposal following Chicago's first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.