Colston Loveland heats up for 1/3 vs. Vikings

Loveland found himself dancing in the end zone for the second consecutive week when he muscled his way in for a score from 12 yards out in the third quarter. The team-leading 12 targets also came on only 33 Caleb Williams pass attempts, with no other player on the team recording more than five targets to their ledger. Furthermore, backup tight end Cole Kmet departed in the fourth quarter with an apparently serious knee injury as he had to be carted off the field, potentially setting Loveland up for more consistent volume moving forward. Loveland finally appears to be making good on his lofty draft capital from the summer after returning fantasy TE1 weeks in two straight games, something managers hope will continue in another difficult matchup on paper against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 8.

It was Loveland’s first score of the 2026 season, and it came with Caleb Williams back under center for Chicago after three weeks on the sideline with a hamstring injury. Loveland couldn’t quite come down with a second touchdown grab in the second half on a poorly thrown green zone pass from Williams. Loveland was second on the team in targets behind Luther Burden III, who had eight looks from Williams on the day. A relative lack of pass volume in the Bears offense could limit Loveland’s overall opportunity, though a concerted effort to get the tight end involved in the red zone could make him a 12-team league option going forward. Loveland gets the Patriots in Week 7.

Everyone’s favorite breakout tight end is now sitting on an unseemly 110 yards receiving through five games played. It’s an inconceivable outcome after Loveland’s stretch-run and postseason dominance last season, but now very much a trend. Loveland’s “rates,” while good, just haven’t been good enough, and he is not compensating with the off-the-charts efficiency he would need to produce on that kind of usage, a la a Dalton Kincaid-type. It’s hard to throw in the TE1 towel since Loveland has only finished one game alongside QB Caleb Williams, but Williams’ likely Week 6 return against the Falcons could be something of a “last stand.” If Loveland can’t get it going with Williams back in the lineup, we might have to accept Loveland’s TE2 fate.

Loveland led the Chicago offense in targets and was third — behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden — in receiving yards with Tyson Bagent under center. Bagent found Loveland on a couple pinpoint middle-of-the-field throws in the first half before the Bears turned hard toward the run in the second half. Loveland now has ten receptions over his past two games after a miserable start to the year. You probably won’t find a better waiver wire tight end in Week 5, when Loveland takes on the Packers.

Loveland matched his to-date season total of one reception on the second play from scrimmage and narrowly missed his first touchdown of the young season after replay assist ruled him down inside the one at the start of the second quarter. The offense would turn the ball over on downs four plays later after failing to punch it in, allowing the Eagles to remain in the game for longer than they otherwise should have been. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for the talented youngster, although the absence of Caleb Williams could further dent his fantasy upside in the immediate future. Loveland continues to be a TE1 in fantasy circles despite the slow start, which holds for when the Bears play host to the Jets in Week 4.

The Bears broke scoring records in their Week 1 demolition of the Panthers but Loveland — leading the team in pass routes — was largely invisible. Caleb Williams missed a wide open Loveland in the middle of the field in the second half and nearly connected with his second-year tight end in the end zone. Cole Kmet, meanwhile, ran about half of the Bears’ routes and turned three targets into two catches for 35 yards and a score. Loveland is almost certain to bounce back in Week 2 against the Vikings.

This wouldn’t be news under normal circumstances but takes on additional meaning with Rome Odunze listed questionable for Week 1. It is of particular note that the Bears already have five wide receivers on the active roster and still chose to elevate another. While recent reports seemed to indicate a sense of optimism regarding Odunze’s potential availability, he could be on the wrong side of questionable given the recent transaction. Fantasy managers will want to confirm his status when the team releases its inactives 90 minutes prior to first kick. Luther Burden and Colston Loveland would be in line to benefit greatly should Odunze be unable to go.

Per Hammond, Odunze “came up hobbling during an install period at the start of practice,” with what appeared to be a right leg injury. Apparently, Odunze “wasn’t overly concerned” and tried to continue practicing, but Bears trainers removed him from the field. That last bit is encouraging. Hopefully, Odunze’s Week 1 availability has not been jeopardized. Bears TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden would benefit if Odunze cannot play. Odunze is backed up by WR Kalif Raymond.

“I want more than (the Super Bowl),” Johnson told The Athletic. “I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored (37.9), and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.” It’s enough to make a fantasy manager hyperventilate. The Caleb Williams-led Bears would have a long way to go if they are to eclipse the legendary 2013 Denver offense led by Peyton Manning — an offense that supported a range of viable to high-end fantasy options. Chicago last season ranked ninth in points per game (25.9), just behind the Colts. The Bears ranked tenth in points per offensive snap and 14th in red zone touchdown rate. If the Bears are to somehow challenge the 2013 Broncos, Johnson would likely need to call a far more pass-heavy game than he did in 2025, when the Bears were among the run-heaviest offenses in the NFL. If Johnson is indeed intent on maximizing points, everyone from Williams to Colston Loveland to D’Andre Swift to Rome Odunze to the injured Luther Burden could be major fantasy factors in 2026.

“It’s watching the tape and knowing, like, it was good for a rookie,” Loveland said Tuesday, “but it’s not going to be good enough for a second-year or third-year guy. Knowing that, it’s, ‘All right, flush that. Clean up on the tape and (dial in on) certain things I need to get better at — which is dang near everything.” Colston was dominant late in the season, functioning as Caleb Williams’ top target in January, into the postseason, where he exploded for eight receptions, 137 yards and a two-point conversion catch in a playoff win against Green Bay. Loveland is in no danger of a low route rate in 2026, as head coach Ben Johnson looks to utilize the tight end as a mismatch against opposing secondaries. Loveland could easily lead all tight ends in fantasy scoring this year.