Week 3 finally gave Luther Burden a real pulse.
After two quiet weeks, the Bears rookie showed up right away against the Philadelphia Eagles, and it didn’t take long to see the game plan through his lens. On Chicago’s first pass attempt, Case Keenum found Burden for a catch.
Later on that opening drive, Burden got a carry. He finished the night the way fantasy managers wanted most: in the end zone.
By the time the game was over, Burden had led the Bears with seven catches on 11 targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. Add in the rushing attempt for seven yards, and his 19.8 full PPR points landed him as the WR13 for the week.
For a Bears passing game that entered the night with plenty of skepticism around Keenum under center, Burden was the clear winner. Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze both came up short despite near-touchdown moments that would have changed the look of their stat lines.
There are still a few things holding Burden back. He’s not seeing much action when the Bears are in “12” and “13” personnel, with two and three tight ends on the field.
But in Week 3, the overall usage was impossible to ignore. Burden posted a 32.4 percent target share and a 28 percent first-read target share.
Those numbers probably won’t hold at that level all season. Even so, the setup for Week 4 doesn’t look like a step backward. Chicago is expected to have another backup quarterback start, with Keenum or Tyson Bagent in line, and Burden’s Week 3 role could carry over when the Bears face the New York Jets.
He also wasn’t coming from nowhere. Burden already had a double-digit PPR outing in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, when he caught five passes for 63 yards. So while he hasn’t turned into the fantasy hammer some expected during the summer, he’s also avoided the kind of dead zone that has swallowed Loveland’s production so far.
David Gautieri of Guru Fantasy World pointed to several numbers that suggest Burden’s box scores are still catching up to his underlying usage:
"The fantasy points are going to start catching up to Luther Burden III."
"He’s 16th in target-share (23.5%) - sandwiched in between CeeDee Lamb (23.8%) & Justin Jefferson (23.3%)."
"10th in first-read target-share (32.8%)."
"4th in redzone targets (6) - behind only ARSB, JSN, & Christian Watson."
"14th in expected PPG (14.2).
That expected production number may be the cleanest sign of what’s ahead. Kalif Raymond is still taking his share of opportunities, which isn’t helping Burden, Loveland, or Odunze managers much. But Raymond’s current pace of 107 receptions and 1,212 yards over a full season is hard to imagine lasting.
Burden came into the year as one of the offseason’s most popular breakout bets. He hasn’t fully hit that ceiling yet, but he has already produced two startable fantasy weeks in three tries. The usage is there, the target profile is there, and the numbers suggest the scoring should keep moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
Bears Let An Ugly NFL Streak End At Soldier Field
A long-running oddity finally disappeared at Soldier Field when the Jets snapped an interception drought that had stretched beyond 1,000 days and more than 600 pass attempts. The takeaway for the Bears was a familiar one in a season full of quarterback turnover: backup Tyson Bagent was in at the time, and the turnover came in the second quarter with New Yorks secondary taking advantage of the situation.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was the one who made it happen, and he did it soon after returning from a groin injury. For a Jets defense that had gone far too long without a pick, the play ended one of the longest active droughts in recent NFL history and offered a small but notable defensive lift in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Sent A Clear Message About The Bears Quarterback Room
The Bears took care of the Jets with a run-heavy showing that leaned on Kyle Monangai, who ripped through New York for 146 yards and two touchdowns as Chicago controlled the game on the ground and on the clock. It was also a notable night for the quarterback room, with Ben Johnson opening the game by giving veteran Case Keenum one snap before turning things over to Tyson Bagent, who settled in and handled the bulk of the work.
Bagent finished 25 of 34 for 268 yards and an interception, a line that fit the way Chicago wanted to play in a game where the defense and run game carried plenty of the load. The choice to start Keenum for a play and then move quickly to Bagent was hard to miss, especially in a win where the Bears were able to dictate terms while the Jets struggled to generate much without Breece Hall. [Read more 🡒]
Tyson Bagent Faces One Bears Test That Could Decide Everything
Tyson Bagent is set to make his first start since the 2023 season in Week 4 against the Jets, with Caleb Williams still out because of a hamstring injury. Bagent has been handling most of the first-team reps in practice, and this week has become a real test of how the Bears want to function with a different kind of quarterback in place.
For Chicago, the question is less about asking Bagent to be a hero than about what a workable game plan looks like around him. His style gives the Bears a chance to lean into what he does well, but the bigger issue is whether the offense can stay on schedule and avoid forcing him into spots that dont fit his strengths. [Read more 🡒]