Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 1: Luther Burden, Kyle Monangai, Caleb Williams

Some fantasy football start or sit advice for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, running back Kyle Monangai and wide receiver Luther Burden.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) makes a catch against the New York Giants during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Chicago Bears take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 on Sunday, running back Kyle Monangai, wide receiver Luther Burden and quarterback Caleb Williams will all be in action.

Monangai and Burden both came down with injuries during camp, but they have since returned to practice and are all good for the season-opening contest against Carolina.

Williams has had a clean bill of health throughout the offseason and the hype for a third-year leap is palpable. The same can be said for Burden and Monangai in their sophomore campaigns.

But does that mean all three players are viable starters in fantasy football this week? Let's find out.

Luther Burden start or sit advice

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) runs against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burden came on strong in the second half of last season, with the 2025 second-round pick finishing as WR23 overall from Week 10 on, according to Fantasy Pros, which made him a flex option.

Looking ahead to this season, Burden steps into the No. 2 wide receiver role in the Bears' passing attack behind Rome Odunze after DJ Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the offseason.

Odunze is questionable to play after turning in limited practices all week because of a calf injury, but he did say he plans to play. In the event he doesn't, Burden will be the top dog in the wide receivers room and becomes a must-start.

The Panthers do have a talented duo at cornerback in Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, but Carolina was still ranked in the middle of the pack in receiving yards allowed per contest last season.

Burden is a decent flex option in Week 1, and upgrade him to more of a WR2 if Odunze sits.

Verdict: Start

Kyle Monangai start or sit advice

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Monangai had some standalone value last season despite playing second fiddle to D'Andre Swift, which he will do once again this season.

In that role, Monangai tallied 11.75 touches per game from Week 7 on, which is when he started seeing a regular role. That was good enough for a ranking of RB23 in that span, which put him in the conversation as a flex option.

That number is skewed by the fact that he had 22 and 26 carries in two of those contests, one of which Swift was absent for due to injury. If you take those two games out, Monangai averaged just 9.3 touches per game.

In and of itself, that is not enough volume to trust Monangai in your fantasy lineups most weeks, but there's reason to believe he could see above that average in Week 1 against a Panthers defense that is best attacked on the ground.

Carolina gave up the sixth-most rushing touchdowns per game in 2025 and the 13th-most rushing yards, so Chicago could go even more run-heavy than it usually does.

There won't be a ton of weeks we feel confident in Monangai given his lack of involvement in the passing game and dependence on touchdowns, but this is a week we do.

Verdict: Start

Caleb Williams start or sit advice

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) stands on the sidelines during the second half in the game against the Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Williams improved from QB16 overall in his rookie season to QB6 overall in his sophomore campaign, which made him an every-week starting option in 2025.

The expectation is Williams is going to take that next step in his second year in Ben Johnson's offense, but even if he just stays status quo, he is still an every-week starter in 10-team leagues.

The Panthers don't present a scary matchup after they finished 15th in passing yards allowed per game last season and didn't make any changes to their secondary.

They did add Jaelan Phillips to the edge rushers room, which is a concern, but the Panthers also lost Nic Scourton for the season because of a torn ACL.

We feel good about Williams returning QB2 value, at worst, in Week 1.

Verdict: Start