In recent years, a couple of high-achieving rookies have altered fantasy football expectations for tight ends. However, it was clear from the start that Colston Loveland wouldn't necessarily be an instant stud with all the mouths to feed in the Chicago Bears' offense.
Then an injury essentially cost the 10th overall pick in last April's draft two games early in the season, and further postponed his potential emergence.
Loveland has taken on a larger role in the Bears' offense, playing at least 58 percent of snaps in eight straight games.
Cole Kmet remains on the field a lot as the No. 2 tight end in a "12" personnel-heavy offense, and he's involved just enough to hurt Loveland's fantasy ceiling. But the rookie has become an asset for managers who have gotten on board over the last several weeks, saving some disappointing yardage totals with a touchdown in two of the previous three games,
Comp for Colston Loveland feels like his natural evolution
As the 2025 fantasy season winds down and ends short of a championship for most managers in the coming weeks, Ryan Conway of Pro Football Focus has offered early 2026 predictions for who will finish as the QB1, RB1, WR1, and TE1 in fantasy. He also offered a wild card candidate to be the top fantasy scorer at each position next year.
In concert with his pick of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to be the QB1in fantasy next year, Conway tabbed Loveland as his wild card candidate to be the TE1.
"If we’re predicting Caleb Williams as the overall QB1 in 2026, then one of his pass catchers has to be an elite fantasy producer. It was tempting to go with Rome Odunze, but Loveland is more true to the “wild card” definition.
"Loveland has posted an above-average PFF receiving grade (76.3), which the limited target share has helped with, and he also has the third-highest average depth of target among qualifying tight ends (9.4 yards). Interestingly, tight end teammate Cole Kmet leads the position with a 10.2-yard average depth of target."
"The current TE19 in standard-scoring PPR leagues, Loveland is nothing more than a matchup-based play or weekly streamer at this point. But fantasy managers just have to squint a touch and dream of a world where Loveland is to Ben Johnson's Bears what Sam LaPorta was to Ben Johnson's Detroit Lions."
Being the first draft pick of the Ben Johnson era sent a message that the Bears' head coach saw Loveland as his Chicago version of LaPorta. The difference was going to be the path to targets as a rookie. LaPorta had no one in his way in 2023, while Loveland has had the fairly capable Kmet to take opportunities away this year.
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With Kmet seemingly far more likely to be gone in the offseason than be back on the roster, the lion's share of the Bears' tight end targets are lined up for Loveland next season. And with that, a LaPorta-style fantasy season would be in play.