Fantasy Football Outlook: Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, Matthew Golden

Every fantasy football season delivers a few players who go from “interesting sleeper” to “why didn’t I draft this guy everywhere?” Identifying those breakouts before the rest of your league catches on is one of the easiest ways to gain an edge on draft day.

We asked our Featured Pros to highlight early breakout candidates for 2026. Some of their answers are trendy names already climbing draft boards. Others might still be flying under the radar… for now.

Here are the players our experts believe could be this year’s “I swear I meant to draft him” stars.

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Early Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates

Luther Burden III (WR – CHI)

“Bears WR Luther Burden isn’t sneaking up on anyone. But I’m not sure fantasy players understand how high his ceiling climbs. Burden never captured enough playing time to be a reliable fantasy option last year. But his per-route efficiency was off the charts. Burden joined Odell Beckham, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson as the only rookie WRs to average 2.6+ yards per route on 50+ targets over the last 20 seasons. Nice company. The departure of WR D.J. Moore, who led Chicago WRs in snaps last year, ensures a full-time role for Burden in 2026. And that gives him WR1 upside in an ascending Bears offense.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks)

“It’s low-hanging fruit, but it’s Luther Burden. Yards per route run among WRS last season via PFF. with a minimum of 40 targets. Puka Nacua 3.71, Jaxon Smith-Njigba 3.62, and Luther Burden 2.69. He had a great finish to the season and was the Bears’ best wide receiver in the second half of the season, by far. D.J. Moore is out of town, and opportunities will only increase for Burden in 2026.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)

“Gotta be Luther Burden III for the Chicago Bears. Burden showed out in the second half of his rookie season, and that growth is expected to continue into Year 2 under HC Ben Johnson. Burden finished the season (combined regular and postseason) 7th in Yards per route run (2.34). With DJ Moore jettisoned to Buffalo, Burden is a realistic candidate to lead the Bears in all receiving categories for 2026.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)

“The most popular (and a more than reasonable) WR breakout pick for the Bears will be Luther Burden III now that DJ Moore is out of Chicago. However, Rome Odunze projects to be WR1 for the Bears with his all-around skillset and connection with Caleb Williams. Through 7 games, Odunze was on pace for 75/1150/10. He mostly fell off after this point, battling through injuries. Moore’s vacancy opens up 5 targets/game, many of which can go to Odunze. While not a burner, he has 3-level skills and can become a safety net and contested ball winner for Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. If healthy, Odunze will look to build off of two solid seasons.”
– Joseph Harlow (Fantasy In Frames)

“Rome Odunze has a strong case to be one of the wide receivers who break out in 2026. Before a foot injury began appearing on the report around Week 9 last season, Odunze was operating as a clear focal point in the Bears’ offense. From Weeks 1-8, he commanded a 23.9% target share with 15.8 expected fantasy points per game and 2.21 Yards per route run, ranking top-20 among wide receivers in each category while averaging 67.6 receiving yards per game. Once the injury surfaced, his efficiency and separation cratered, which dragged down the overall production. With Chicago trading DJ Moore and Odunze now positioned as the primary perimeter option, a fully healthy Year 3 sets up a strong breakout case.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (The Armchair Sports Corner)

“Many may point to other Bears receivers, but Rome Odunze is the one I’m targeting. Odunze has fallen into the “what have you done for me lately” trap, but he was on the verge of a breakout last season. Through his first seven games, Odunze posted double-digit fantasy points in five contests and led the team with 56 targets at the time. If not for a heel injury in Week 9 and another later in the season, he might be the player everyone is hyping up right now.”
– Steven Pintado (QB List)

Matthew Golden (WR – GB)

“Matthew Golden played often for the Green Bay Packers to start his NFL career, only for his play time to be slashed upon the return of Christian Watson to the Packers offense. Now, with a full year of experience under his belt, Golden should see the field often for the Packers in 2026. Romeo Doubs, who led all of the Packers’ WRs in total snaps in 2025, is now a member of the New England Patriots. Getting Golden ready to take over a large percentage of those snaps will be a priority for Green Bay, which will need him to contribute. Taking a stab at Golden, a young receiver in a good offense with a clear pathway to playing time, should be on every fantasy manager’s to-do list during fantasy draft season.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)