The Chicago Bears had an offensive explosion in Week 1, but some sections of fantasy football managers were left wanting more, if not completely disappointed. As for the prominent pass catchers, Luther Burden getting to double-digit PPR points with five catches for 63 yards was a small win compared to Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze.
There will be weeks like Week 1 for one or more of the Bears' skill position players, but it's fair to assume everyone will have plenty of days in the sun too. Loveland surely seems to be lined up for a big correction in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he's not the only one.
In highlighting wide receiver/cornerback matchups to target or avoid in Week 2, Nic Bodiford of Pro Football Focus pointed to Burden's looming favorable circumstance against Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy.
"Bears second-year wide receiver Luther Burden III should thrive as a fantasy football WR2 this week, helped by his diverse pre-snap alignment and a matchup against Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy. "
"(Vikings defensive coordinator Brian) Flores’ pass defense allowed the top-three receiving yards (272) and receptions (16) sums among NFL defenses to opposing wide receivers while tying for the third-most missed tackles against the position (three) last week."
"Murphy lines up all over the formation but primarily mans the slot, taking 19-of-30 possible coverage snaps there last week."
"Burden failed to meet the fantasy football community’s lofty expectations in Week 1, catching all five targets for 63 receiving yards, yet ranked second among Bears skill-position players with a 19.2% target share. Although he earned just a 64.5 PFF receiving grade, Burden maintained his top-tier per-play efficiency, averaging 2.33 YPRR in Week 1 after producing 2.34 last season. His 5.8 yards after the catch per reception also ranks first among Bears wide receivers by 2.9."
An 81-yard touchdown from Christian Watson skews the yardage the Vikings allowed to the Green Bay Packers' wide receivers in Week 1. Targeting Murphy was also profitable for Green Bay, as three of the four receptions he allowed gained at least 10 yards, and all four completions moved the chains.
Luther Burden is set to start fully paying off his preseason buzz in Week 2
Everywhere you looked during the offseason, Burden was among the top fantasy breakout candidates for this year. While Week 1 certainly could've been worse, it didn't live up to those expectations.
According to PFF, Burden's 55 snaps in Week 1 were nearly evenly split between lining up in the slot (29) and on the outside (26). So he should see plenty of Murphy, whose drop-off since a 2024 Pro Bowl campaign continued to an extent in Week 1.
The Vikings' safeties are also pretty much liabilities in coverage, so if Burden can win against whichever cornerback is covering him, the YAC opportunities should be there, like Bodiford pointed to.
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As long as everyone is healthy, the range of potential outcomes for the Bears' pass catchers will be wide each week. Burden is also a weekly lineup lock, embracing potential ups and downs, and he's in line for a matchup-driven boost in Week 2.
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