Bear Digest

Fantasy Football Week 14: Bears rookie poised for spotlight performance vs. Packers

A rising Chicago Bears rookie could play a major role in Week 14’s matchup against the Packers. Here’s why fantasy football managers should keep a close eye on him this weekend.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears will be shorthanded on offense against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14's showdown at Lambeau Field, as Caleb Williams' favorite target, Rome Odunze, will miss the game with a foot injury.

For fantasy football managers hoping Odunze would break his slump in time for the fantasy playoffs, it's time to move on.

And, for the savvy team managers, moving on might simply mean moving down the Bears' depth chart.

Rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III will get his chance to shine in Sunday's rivalry game. And with most of Sunday's attention focused on this NFC North showdown, Burden can also announce his arrival as one of the NFL's top young offensive talents.

Burden's rookie season has already had some memorable moments. He enters Week 14 with 26 catches for 328 yards and one touchdown, which remains his signature moment from his rookie year so far:

It's only a matter of time before plays like that become a regular part of his highlight reel.

Burden's modest production has been the result of limited opportunities. He's logged only 254 snaps this season. Compare that to Odunze, who's totaled nearly three times as many (734).

Despite his limited snap count, Burden has the Bears' seventh-highest Pro Football Focus grade on offense and is the team's highest-graded wide receiver.

Indeed, analytics aren't the be all, end all, but it feels like Burden's breakout game has been inching closer and closer by the week.

The Bears selected Burden in the second round despite already having Moore and Odunze on the roster, underscoring how high they valued him as a draft prospect. The prevailing theory is that Burden will eventually replace Moore in the offense, which could happen as soon as this offseason.

But in Week 14 against the Packers, he'll line up alongside Moore. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends the game leading the team in targets. A final stat line of more than 75 yards and a touchdown is well within his reach on Sunday.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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