Chicago Bears fans haven’t gotten a long look at second-round rookie Luther Burden as he battled a soft tissue injury. But when Burden becomes fully acclimated in head coach Ben Johnson’s new offense, the receiver is expected to bring an extreme level of playmaking ability.
Chicago already had DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on their roster when they selected Burden. Clearly, Johnson is looking to develop one of the strongest passing attacks in the league. It’ll take time, as all three and quarterback Caleb Williams adapts to the new system. But the Bears’ offense, at least on paper, looks much stronger entering the 2025 campaign.
Being such a high draft pick, Burden will be under a microscope throughout his rookie campaign. However, Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus thinks he’ll shine under the pressure, calling Burden one of his top fantasy football sleepers in 2025.
“Optimism abounds about the Bears’ passing game because of new head coach Ben Johnson, whose offenses run a lot of plays and score a lot of points,” Jahnke wrote. “Slot receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was the focal point of his passing game with the Lions, and Burden is the most likely receiver to fill that role in Chicago. However, St. Brown was also playing consistently in two-receiver sets, and Johnson’s offenses stayed in two-receiver sets more often than most teams.”
Chicago Bears counting on Luther Burden
While Moore seems most likely to fill the WR1 role under Johnson, Burden will take the majority of snaps in the slot. That puts plenty of pressure and expectations on the rookie’s shoulders. But if he proves to be a strong fit, it’s easy to see Burden becoming a fantasy football steal.
Over his three years at Missouri, the receiver caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns. His breakout season came as a junior, when Burden set new career-highs in receptions (86), yardage (1,212) and touchdowns (nine). His star power was amplified by his PFF metrics.
“Burden was one of Missouri‘s top two wide receivers for the past three seasons. In 2023, he earned the third-highest PFF receiving grade among Power-Five receivers, behind Malik Nabers and Malik Washington but ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze,” Jahnke wrote. “That included a top-five yards-per-route-run figure that ranked just ahead of Ladd McConkey.”
Johnson is looking for playmakers all over the roster and he clearly sees one in Burden. Once he gets past his injury, the head coach will be dialing up ways to get the rookie open in space.
Fantasy football caution
While there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Burden, there are a few red flags. Outside of the injury, the biggest problem is Chicago’s growing pass catcher room.
“Burden was among the most talented wide receivers in the 2025 draft class but landed on a team with several other options in the passing game. If he can surpass others on the depth chart, he may be Ben Johnson’s Bears version of Amon-Ra St. Brown,” Jahnke wrote. “If he doesn’t surpass others in the target pecking order, he might not be worth rostering in fantasy leagues by the end of the season.”
Alongside Moore and Odunze, the Bears also have tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Burden will start ahead of veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, but the latter is still poised to earn receptions. Overall, it may be difficult for Burden to stand out and a week-to-week basis.
But he won’t cost you a premium pick in fantasy football. If he is still available late, his role in Johnson’s offense makes him intriguing enough. Any fantasy owner would just need to be worried about consistency from the rookie, at least to begin his NFL tenure.
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