Fantasy Football Player Notes

Luther Burden had a quiet week, considering his team put up 59 points in Week 1 as the WR37 in fantasy. Burden had a 17.2% target share, 63 receiving yards (2.42 YPRR), zero red zone targets, zero deep targets, and a 27.8% first-read share (second on the team). Burden ran 53.8% of his routes from the slot. We'll see if his usage increases in Week 2, but the matchup is solid. In Week 1, Brian Flores continued his heavy usage of two-high coverage, deploying it on 67.4% of their defensive snaps (fifth-highest rate). Last year, against two-high, Burden led the team with a 25% target-per-route run rate while posting 1.88 yards per route run (second-best). Burden could be called upon more this week. Another staple of Flores' defense is the blitz. In Week 1, Flores dialed up blitz at an insane 73.9% clip. Last year, against the blitz, Burden was fourth on the team with a 21% target-per-route run rate, but he was only a part-time player. That could change in 2026. Burden won't have it easy, though. Last year, Minnesota allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per target and the seventh-fewest yards per target to opposing slot receivers.

I'm not a math guy, but let me try to add this up. The Bears scored 59 points and had 552 yards of offense. That included eight total touchdowns and seven different receivers catching a pass. In this game, Colston Loveland did not record a catch. Something isn't adding up. Interestingly enough, Loveland was always on the field and running routes. As a result, the underlying metrics indicate that Loveland should bounce back and be what fantasy managers had hoped. The good news is that this offense looks incredibly potent and one you want all the pieces of. That said, seeing them spread the ball as much as they did showcases a potential trap door for their fantasy pieces. This week they play a tough Brian Flores defense. Trust the process and continue to play Loveland as a top TE option.

Rome Odunze entered last week's game at less than 100% and it showed in his production and playing time. He had a 48.6% snap rate and 55.3% route share. I hope both of those numbers climb this week, but we'll have to monitor his practice reports. Odunze finished with only a 10.3% target share, 52 receiving yards (2.48 YPRR), two deep targets, and a 5.6% first-read share. If Odunze is healthy enough, he could see a substantial workload against Brian Flores' two high coverage and blitz heavy nature. In Week 1, Brian Flores continued his heavy usage of two-high coverage, deploying it on 67.4% of their defensive snaps (fifth-highest rate). Last year, against two high, Odunze was second on the team with a 24% target per route run rate and he led the team with 1.89 yards per route run. In Week 1, Flores dialed up blitz at an insane 73.9% clip. Last season, against the blitz, Odunze led the team with a 27.8% target share, 30% target per route run rate, and a 32.1% first-read share. My fingers are crossed that Odunze has a big game in Week 2. Last year, Minnesota allowed the second-most yards per target and the third-most fantasy points per target to perimeter wide receivers.

The Bears exploded for 59 points in Week 1, and with that offensive firepower output Kyle Monangai finished as the RB11 for the week. Monangai played 44.3% of the snaps with a 39.5% route share. He finished with 12 touches, 124 total yards, and a score. Monangai looked good in Week 1 with his touches popping off with a 22.2% explosive run rate and 7.5 yards after contact per attempt. We'll see if he can keep it up in Week 2 against what looks like a strong Minnesota run defense. In Week 1, Minnesota allowed the 14th-lowest explosive run rate, the fourth-lowest rushing success rate, and the 11th-fewest yards after contact per attempt. I expect Monangai to continue to be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex option.

Kalif Raymond popped off with a surprising stat line in Week 1 as the WR15 in fantasy. He had only a 60% snap share and 57.9% route share, but he saw a 31% target share and 33.3% first-read share. Raymond finished with 84 receiving yards, 3.82 YPRR, one red zone target, and one deep target. I don't know if he will or can repeat this type of production, especially with a limited route share, but it's possible that he can. In Week 1, Brian Flores continued his heavy usage of two-high coverage, deploying it on 67.4% of their defensive snaps (fifth-highest rate). Last year, against two-high, Raymond had only a 14% target per route run rate and 1.28 yards per route run, but this was with Detroit. In 2024, with the Lions and Ben Johnson against two-high, Raymond had only a 12% target-per-route-run rate and 0.67 yards per route run. The analytics aren't in Raymond's favor to continue his hot start to the 2026 season. If you're in a deep league or desperate for a flex, I get it, but in most formats and leagues I'm not starting Raymond in Week 2. The matchup could be fruitful if you do decide to turn to Raymond, though. Last year, Minnesota allowed the second-most yards per target and the third-most fantasy points per target to perimeter wide receivers.