2026 Team Outlook: Chicago Bears

4. TE Colston Loveland, CHI - Stud (low risk)

BREAKOUT ALERT - Across three seasons and 39 games at Michigan, Loveland hauled in 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. His final year was his busiest (56 catches and five scores), both career bests, but his yards per reception dipped notably from 14.4 to 10.4. His standout game came against Oregon, where he put up seven catches for 112 yards. A shoulder injury cut his season short, causing him to miss the final three games in 2024, and he finished with six or more receptions in six of his 10 starts. Loveland is a physical player who wins with strong, reliable hands. He has a good feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage underneath, but he also has the athleticism to threaten a defense over the middle and down the seam when coverage allows. His route running is above average for his position. Loveland will need to do a better job of winning off the line of scrimmage at the next level, requiring him to get into his routes cleanly and quickly to beat more athletic defenders. His blocking is a work in progress, particularly when asked to engage bigger bodies at the point of attack in pass protection. It's worth noting that Michigan's offense ran a limited passing game over the past two seasons, averaging fewer than 24 attempts and 16 completions per game, a context that naturally capped his production and target volume. Moving to the NFL, where passing is more central to every offense, opened up significantly more opportunities for him to show what he can do as a receiver. The Bears gave Loveland minimal looks over his first six games (11/116 on 18 targets) while missing Week 4 with a hip issue. He flashed in Week 9 (8/118/2) against the Bengals, highlighted by a back-breaking, game-winning 58-yard touchdown. Over his final 11 games, including

the postseason, Loveland was a winning option at the tight end position. He caught 53 of his 82 targets for 672 yards and four touchdowns (13.09 PPR fantasy points per game), worthy of the second-best tight end output if repeated for 17 games. Fantasy Outlook: In June, in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Loveland comes off the board as the third tight end, as many game managers are giddy about his potential in 2026. His fourth- round ADP (43) looks reasonable if his late success last year translates to 80 catches for 900 yards and about seven touchdowns. There's a good chance Loveland is the top receiving option for Chicago this year.

12. QB Caleb Williams, CHI - Solid/Safe Pick

Over three college seasons, Williams threw for 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns, and just 14 interceptions. His 2022 campaign at USC stood out as his finest (4,537 passing yards, 42 touchdown passes, 382 rushing yards, and 10 more scores on the ground), earning him the Heisman Trophy and a sweep of major offensive honors. As a rusher, he carried 289 times for 966 yards and 27 touchdowns across 37 career games, but his yards per carry declined steadily as defenses adjusted (5.6 in 2021, 3.4 in 2022, 1.5 in 2023). He went 23-10 as a split starter between Oklahoma and USC. Williams plays the position with a gunslinger's mindset, always looking to attack downfield and beat defenses with his arm. His college receiving corps had the deep speed to create frequent wide-open shots, and he consistently delivered in those moments. In the pocket, he showed poise under pressure — sliding to open windows, buying time against the pass rush, and turning broken plays into chunk gains with his legs. He's at his best when improvising, though he can get himself into trouble by forcing throws into tight coverage when his first read isn't there. The adjustment he needs to make at the professional level is learning to operate as a rhythm passer who processes the full field rather than hunting for explosive plays. As defenses take away his primary options, Williams needs to work through progressions more patiently and get the ball out quickly to his second and third reads. At times, he drew comparisons to Peyton Manning in the way he manipulated the pocket, with a Patrick Mahomes-like quality emerging when scrambling under pressure: fluid, quick, and dangerous in open space. The downside of his style is exposure to negative plays. When Williams retreats too deeply in his pass setup to create a throwing lane, sacks

pile up, and the ball can come loose. That said, when given a clear look, his arm strength, accuracy, and ability to read the coverage are all legitimate. Williams was sacked 68 times, and his timing was inconsistent — at times firing with too much velocity on throws that called for touch and placement. Still, he avoided major turnover damage, throwing just six interceptions, with only two coming over his final 14 starts. His four best games (338/2, 282/4, 373/2, and 368/2) came at home. Williams failed to reach 200 passing yards in nine contests, six of which came over his last 11 starts. When running lanes opened up, he made the most of them, carrying 81 times for 489 yards, but none reached the end zone. Williams had almost the same passing (568) and rushing (77) opportunities as in 2024 (562/81), but he gained 300 more combined yards with an increase of 10 touchdowns. Fumbles (nine – one lost) remain an issue (10 in 2024, with five going to the opposing team). His completion rate (58.1%) was well below his rookie campaign (62.5%). He has a floor of 20.00 fantasy points (four-point passing TDs) in 12 of his 19 starts (including the postseason). Williams ended the season with seven consecutive games with two touchdowns, a feat he achieved seven times over his first 12 starts. His two impact fantasy games came in Week 3 (32.10) and Week 9 (41.50). Williams attempted 35 passes or more 10 times. His lack of experience showed in the postseason based on his five interceptions in two matchups and weaker completion rate (52.2%). He finished sixth in quarterback scoring (366.00 fantasy points). Fantasy Outlook: Chicago has most of the same offensive skill players returning in 2026, with the exception of DJ Moore, who signed with the Bills. The key to his ceiling is the development of TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden. Rome Odunze looked the part of a foundation WR1 after four games (6/37/1, 7/128/2, 3/62/1, and 4/69/1), but a foot

injury led to five missed starts and empty stats in too many of his other 10 matchups. His health is critical for Williams to have further growth in 2026. Williams comes off the board as the seventh quarterback in June in the National Fantasy Football Championship, with a ninth-round ADP (93). I expect more issues protecting the quarterback based on Chicago’s offseason changes to its offensive line. With a rebound in his completion rate, the Bears’ rising quarterback should push toward 4,500 combined yards with a new top touchdowns.

23. RB D'Andre Swift, CHI - Solid/Safe Pick

Swift looked primed for a breakout in 2022, exploding for 15 carries, 144 yards, a touchdown, and three catches for 31 yards in a dominant Week 1 performance. Detroit then pulled back on his workload, giving him just 17 touches over the next two games (133 combined yards, a score, and five receptions). A shoulder injury then sidelined him for three weeks, and he returned to a reduced role over the following five games (23/61/2 with 16 catches for 109 yards and one score. He closed the season on a strong note, generating 453 combined yards, three touchdowns, and 24 catches on 73 touches over his final six games. He finished 21st among running backs in PPR scoring with 191.10 points. The move to Philadelphia in 2023 was good for his counting stats. Swift set career bests in carries (229), rushing yards (1,049), and games played (16), but the Eagles sat him in the regular-season finale. After a quiet opener with just two touches, he reeled off five productive games in a row (564 combined yards, three touchdowns, and 22 catches), averaging 19.28 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. Four of those outings topped 100 combined yards, with one standout performance of 28 carries, 175 yards, a score, and three catches for six more yards. However, from Week 8 through Week 17, Philadelphia largely removed him from the passing game (19 targets over nine games, barely two per contest), leading to six performances under 10.00 fantasy points. He ended the year 19th in running back PPR scoring at 200.30 points. In his first season with Chicago, Swift reached career highs in touches (295) and combined yards (1,345) but posted a career-low 3.8 yards per carry. He topped 100 rushing yards just once (18 carries, 129 yards, and one touchdown) and received 20 or more touches in six games. His fantasy peak came in a three-week stretch from Weeks 4 through 6, where he scored 29.50, 20.00, and 21.90 PPR fantasy points. Outside of those moments, his production was inconsistent. He finished under

10.00 fantasy points nine times. He again ranked 19th in running back PPR scoring, this time with 214.50 points. The explosiveness returned to Swift’s game in 2025, highlighted by him gaining a career-high 5.9 yards per carry and success catching the ball (8.8 yards per catch). He’s gained over 1,000 combined yards (1,386) for the third consecutive year with a career-best in rushing touchdowns (9). The Bears used a two-back rotation all year, thanks to 479 running back touches. Swift scored over 20.00 PPR fantasy points in five matchups (25.50, 20.80, 20.80, 22.80, and 21.90), but also posted six dull showings (9.50, 9.00, 2.90, 9.00, 5.80, and 7.60), with five coming over his last 10 starts. Swift rushed for more than 100 yards three times (14/108, 19/124/1, and 18/125/1). His uptick in play lifted Swift to 15th in PPR scoring (230.80). Chicago has him on the field for 54.0% of their plays. Fantasy Outlook: A lot went right for the Bears’ run game and Swift last year. Kyle Monangai should be more involved from Week 1 of 2026, suggesting regression in overall production by their top back. The high- stakes fantasy market supports my early thoughts based on his running back ranking (22nd) and late fifth-round ADP (58). I’ll set his bar at 1,200 combined yards with six to eight touchdowns and a floor of 30 catches, putting him on par with his early 2026 price point.

24. PK Cairo Santos, CHI - Deep-league Only

Over his six seasons with the Bears, Santos made 158 of his 178 field goals (88.8%). He missed 95 of his 98 extra-point tries over the past three years. His leg gained value from long range (29-for-37) from 2022 to 2025. Santos finished 18th in kicker scoring (140.30) in 2025 while missing two games. Fantasy Outlook: Chicago scored 49 touchdowns last season while creating only 39 field goal chances. Santos has the leg to offer matchup value again in 2026, with a chance to push to the top 12 in scoring.

31. WR Luther Burden, CHI - Gamble (high risk)

While a soft-tissue injury right before the season kicks off is always an unwanted gamble, the underlying data suggests you shouldn't fully back away from his massive sophomore upsideBurden burst onto the scene in his sophomore year at Missouri, catching 86 passes for 1,243 yards and 10 touchdowns. His junior season was a step back across the board (61 receptions, 676 yards, and six scores), supplemented by nine carries for 115 yards and two rushing touchdowns. His yards per catch dropped from 14.1 to 11.1, despite playing with the same quarterback (Brady Cook). His big- yardage games were more plentiful in 2023, when he topped 100 yards in five outings (8117, 7/114/2, 10/177, 11/140/2, and 11/149), compared to just one such game in 2024 (6/117/1). Missouri leaned into his abilities as a chain mover by deploying him closer to the line of scrimmage in 2024, giving him more opportunities to create after the catch in open space, an area where he tends to thrive. Burden runs with wiggle and instincts, and his change of direction when running laterally before turning upfield is a real weapon. His hands are reliable, and his timing and finishing ability on deep throws stand out. His 4.41 40-yard dash at the Combine confirms the speed to stretch a defense vertically, and at the next level, Burden projects as a natural fit on crossing routes that let him build momentum before turning on the jets. His areas to watch are his route-running refinement and his engagement when the ball isn't coming his way. He can check out at times when he's not involved in the play.

Chicago selected Burden in the second round of the 2025 draft, bringing a young and dynamic piece into their offensive mix. In his rookie season, he missed two games with a concussion and an ankle injury. The Bears gave him only 15 targets over his first seven games, resulting in 13 catches for 171 yards and one score. His snap count rose over his last 10 games, helped by the Romo Odunze injury. Burden flashed in Week 17 (8/138/1), leading to him catching 40 of his 59 targets for 547 yards and one score. Fantasy Outlook: The coach-speak out of Bears' camp has been bullish on Burden's opportunity in 2026. His skill set points to him filling the void left at WR1 by DJ Moore leaving town. He draws a WR20 ranking in the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship with a late third-round ADP (35). Burden looks to be on a path to catch 70+ passes for 1,000 yards with five to seven scores, painting a value picture. Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions Over the past five years with the Lions, Raymond has 171 catches for 2,185 yards and eight touchdowns on 231 targets. His top catches (48) and touchdowns (4) came in 2021. He finished his highest output in receiving yards in 2022 (616). His season ended in 2023 due to a knee injury sustained in the postseason. Raymond missed another five games in 2024 with a foot issue, coming after a dull 11 games (16/204/2 on 21 targets). His role was minimal again last year (24/289/1). Fantasy Outlook: His experience with Ben Johnson points to a WR3 opportunity with the Bears this year. His targets will be minimal, suggesting Chicago may feature two tight ends in their passing game over a trusted WR3 option.