When Colston Loveland became the first draft pick of the Ben Johnson era for the Chicago Bears, there was clearly a plan for him to be a key piece of the offense. That plan got off to a slow start, as it tends to with many rookie tight ends, but when it did, it really took hold last season.
Starting with his breakout game in Week 9, Loveland had 59 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns over his final 12 games last season (including the playoffs). That has brought all sorts of optimism for him as he moves toward his second season, in fantasy and reality circles alike.
Loveland's breakthrough over the course of his rookie season was aided by wide receiver Rome Odunze being limited by, and eventually missing multiple games due to, a foot injury. If Odunze can be healthy and put it together next season, he will be a significant factor in the Bears' passing game.
That said, Loveland can easily be Johnson's Chicago version of Sam LaPorta and a top target for Caleb Williams, regardless of who else is in line for noticeable targets.
Fantasy analyst takes a cautious view of Colston Loveland for 2026
With early Average Draft Position (ADP) as the driving force, Ted Chmyz of Fantasy Pros has Loveland on his list of tight end busts to avoid this year.
"Colston Loveland’s rookie season was undeniably awesome. He started understandably slowly as a 21-year-old rookie, but eventually emerged as a real threat in the Bears’ offense down the stretch. From Week 9 onward, he was the TE2 in total half-PPR points and the TE5 in points per game. That’s not even counting his awesome performances in Chicago’s two playoff games, in which he averaged six receptions and 96.5 yards on a whopping 12.5 targets."
"On the advanced stats side, Loveland ranked fourth in PFF receiving grade, fourth in targets per route and sixth in yards per route. It’s obvious that he has talent and will be a fantasy stud for years to come."
"But with that said, I’m not sure I can get on board with him being the clear TE3 by ADP, over 20 spots clear of fellow sophomore Tyler Warren at TE4. To be a truly difference-making fantasy tight end, a player must be one of their team’s top two targets. And, unlike the names around him, that’s not guaranteed for Loveland."
Being hesitant to buy into Loveland at a TE3 ADP is one thing, and if it holds true to the teeth of draft season, a good portion of fantasy managers will be turned away from drafting him. The ADP gap between him and TE4 Tyler Warren is also inexplicably sizeable right now, if we're being honest. There, of course, are (and will be, until further notice) a lot of mouths to feed in the Bears' offense.
There's even a case for a fourth-round overall ADP being too rich for Loveland, in light of other options at other positions who would be available.
But in the midst of his analysis, Chmyz got a little squirrely with the narrative.
"Loveland has to compete with two other very talented young players in Rome Odunze (the ninth overall pick in 2024, who was off to a hot start in 2025 before an injury slowed him down) and Luther Burden III (whose eye-popping advanced metrics as a rookie matched his exciting prospect profile)."
"There’s a very real chance Ben Johnson makes these two young wideouts his top options in the passing game, leaving Loveland as the third wheel. This might not be a huge issue in best ball, but it would lead to frustrating inconsistencies for traditional redraft managers."
Beyond the aforementioned reasons for caution, the full-season pace Loveland had over the last four games of his rookie season (counting the playoffs) is not sustainable. In the value equation for fantasy drafts, Loveland loses most of his upside if he's a top-five tight end by ADP.
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The overall idea of having some questions/concerns makes sense. But, regarding how cautious we should be about his fantasy prospects for 2026, the notion that Loveland could be made into the "third wheel" in the Bears' passing game on any kind of consistent basis is a step too far.
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