ESPN Fantasy Football on Luther Burden

ArticleFantasy football: Sleepers, busts and breakouts for 2026
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Luther Burden III's second season in Chicago sets up nicely for him to break out in a BIG way. Ben Johnson calling plays. Caleb Williams at the trigger.

STACKED’s take

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Burden's elite rookie efficiency and 150 vacated targets support top-5 WR breakout.

Burden's second season in Chicago sets up for a big breakout with Ben Johnson calling plays, Caleb Williams at quarterback, and 150 vacated targets from DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus departing. Rome Odunze's altered foot structure is his new normal. Burden showed elite tape as a rookie with underlying efficiency metrics ranking among the best all-time; had he reached qualifying thresholds, he would have ranked third among all WRs in yards per route run at 2.92, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Other rookies posting YPRR north of 2.5 in the last decade include Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. The bull case: a top-5 player at his position currently going as WR28 in ESPN drafts.

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