With the fantasy season upon us, draft preps ramping up, and most fantasy drafts underway or will be soon, self-proclaimed “Fantasy Head” Bryan Orenchuk and WCG’s official Fantasy Guru Jack R Solo touch on the top ten Chicago Bears for this upcoming fantasy season. Next up, we have numbers 6, 5, and 4. It is unlikely any new names will be added after the final roster cuts to alter these rankings, so these should hold true. Jack and Bryan have included the rankings from ESPN, Fantasy Pros, Yahoo!,
and NFL.com for your reference and have averaged their own rankings to construct this list. Enjoy.
4. Colston Loveland (ESPN – 12, Fantasy Pros – TE15, Yahoo! – TE14, NFL.com – 10)
What they love:
Bryan Orenchuk: Ben Johnson. Aside from deploying the second most 21 personnel (two-tight end formations) across the league last season, Ben Johnson is a creative play caller who schemes his players open. Even rookies. See LaPorta, Sam.
Jack R Salo: Volume. With DJ Moore and Rome Odunze commanding attention from defensive secondaries, it shouldn’t take long for Loveland to adjust to the NFL and find open spots on the field. Loveland should be targeted downfield as much as any other tight end in the league save for the very best, so the main question is whether Caleb Williams can take a step forward and get the ball out on time.
What they like:
Bryan Orenchuk: I like how Loveland is entering an offense with playmakers at every level, including a solid QB, which he did not have during his final season at Michigan. For a top ten pick, Loveland should have more single coverage looks than most.
Jack R Salo: I expect Loveland will have plays where he generates good separation against the matchup. At 6’6”, 240, he’s big enough to go get a baller against a smaller corner. He’s also fast enough to burn a linebacker a few times per game. This is no exaggeration; Loveland could have stretches that completely change a fantasy football matchup. For a tight end, that’s huge.
What they worry about:
Bryan Orenchuk: From a fantasy perspective, I worry about Cole Kmet’s involvement most, but having so many mouths to feed in this offense is a real concern as well.
Jack R Salo: Obviously, Cole Kmet is the established starter at tight end for the Bears, and the one who should see more snaps in single tight end formations. There’s no reason to think Loveland and Kmet won’t see the field together regularly, but Loveland’s touchdowns could be lacking this year as Kmet and others are trusted more in the redzone. Also, if the entire offense comes out flat again this year, that’s another worry for any player with “GSH” on their shoulder. Sure, there’s plenty of optimism about the Bears’ offense, but nothing is real until these games count.
Draftable?:
Bryan Orenchuk: Absolutely. I like him better in Dynasty formats than Re-Draft, but Loveland is one injury away from being a TE1 in fantasy and has day 1 appeal in deeper leagues.
Jack R Salo: As a low-end fantasy starter, or a solid bench spot. There’s a risk in spending a high draft pick on any tight end not named Brock Bowers this year, but when the other players in the draft start their run on tight ends, Loveland should still be there the next round.
5. Luther Burden III (ESPN – NR – 50, Fantasy Pros – WR57, Yahoo! – WR61, NFL.com – WR53)
What they love:
Bryan Orenchuk: Clearly his athleticism and YAC ability jump off the screen on tape, but what I love most is how he has seemed to buy-in to Ben Johnson and this offense. When you take a player as talented as Burden III and combine that talent with a grit and work ethic to be great, expect fireworks.
Jack R Salo: He was a do-it-all receiver at Mizzou, at that included plenty of looks out of the backfield. While the Tigers’ blocking wasn’t always what they hoped it would be to free him open for green grass, this is still what modern NFL offenses are using more and more today. Screens, jet sweeps, and trick plays could free up Burden for some huge plays.
What they like:
Bryan Orenchuk: I like how he can start his career fresh without shouldering too much pressure. Let him learn how to be a pro and be ready to prove something when his name is called, and I expect big plays early in the season when he gets a chance.
Jack R Salo: He’s faaaaaaast. It takes more than just speed to be a stellar NFL receiver, but he’s got something you just can’t teach. We likely won’t have a clear picture of his role on this offense until a few weeks into the season, but once he fully unseats Zaccheaus as WR3 for the Bears, he should see 5+ targets per game and opportunities for massive gains.
What they worry about:
Bryan Orenchuk: Similar to the rookie ahead of him on this list, I worry about his target share in this offense. For fantasy purposes, that could be extremely frustrating. When you factor in how strong of an off-season Olamide Zaccheaus has had, Burden may not start a game all season, barring injury.
Jack R Salo: Will his skills translate to the NFL level right away? We know he’s a guy who can turn 5 yards into 50. We know he can catch it in stride and turn on the jets. We know he can catch it over his shoulder in the endzone. NFL receivers are asked to do so many things, though; back shoulder catches, jump balls, toe-tappers. It’s good to see he bought-in to the “no block, no rock” mentality of this offense. Also, every unsportsmanlike conduct penalty puts you further away from a starting role.
Draftable?:
Bryan Orenchuk: Absolutely. Players with his skillset deserve to be drafted. Be it injury to a teammate or his ascension throughout the season, he could also see significant play time.
Jack R Salo: He’s a great stash on the bench once your starting lineup is full. I doubt he’ll be crushing it early, so he’s an option to put in when a receiver has a bye, or if a Bears receiver gets hurt. Burden should be available deep in drafts, when everything becomes a bit of a crapshoot, so there’s no harm in rounding out your bench with a guy who should develop into a better fantasy prospect as the year goes along.
4. D’Andre Swift (ESPN – RB20, Fantasy Pros – RB22, Yahoo! – RB24, NFL.com – RB16)
What they love:
Bryan Orenchuk: I love that Swift is the most dynamic and experienced back for the Bears. Oh, and he also happens to be the only healthy one. But most of all, I love how he will be running behind a newly reinforced offensive line and that Ben Johnson is calling plays.
Jack R Salo: Receptions out of the backfield remain D’Andre Swift’s largest draw. Averaging 47 receptions over five seasons, with three different teams makes him a great RB2 in fantasy. The Bears will need a strong rushing attack to run Ben Johnson’s offense, and Swift is comfortably in the leading running back spot. He’ll see plenty of action when healthy, and his ability to catch passes will make him good for the Bears and good for fantasy football managers.
What they like:
Bryan Orenchuk: I like that the playbook will be more catered to Swift’s skillset, at least when Swift is the designed ball carrier. He averaged a career high 5.5 ypc in 2022 with Ben Johnson. Let’s see what he can do with even more volume.
Jack R Salo: I like a second year with Caleb Williams and D’Andre Swift on the same team. Swift was brought in to bring experience to a backfield where the quarterback was a rookie, and the results across the board were rough on offense. I like the idea of Caleb and D’Andre building more chemistry getting the ball out on plays where nobody else is open downfield. Until we see it happen in the regular season, it will only be projection, but Swift as a dump-off option could mirror Kenneth Walker III in fantasy football.
What they worry about:
Bryan Orenchuk: At this point, the biggest concern for me is his health. That said, he could certainly see his share of goal line carries vulture but with the amount of targets and carries he should accumulate, Swift should have a swell season.
Jack R Salo: The Bears continue to make moves to find a rushing attack that doesn’t feature D’Andre Swift. When Swift signed with the Bears on a 3 year, $24 million contract, it was pretty clear he would be there for that contract and not much longer. His guaranteed money is up after this year, and they have all the pieces in place (RoJo, Monangai), to move on from him after this year. If Monangai is forced into action and excels, will Swift earn his job back?
Draftable?:
Bryan Orenchuk: Absolutely. And he is a steal at the moment. Go get the Bears RB1 in the 6th-8th round and plug him into a flex spot weekly.
Jack R Salo: I can think of at least 15 running backs I would take before him, but sure Swift remains a RB2 option in all leagues. If you draft running backs high, he’s a great flex play, and otherwise he’s a fine RB2 option as long as he’s fully healthy.
How do you feel about these players? Which rookie do you think will be the best fantasy football asset?
