Colston

Loveland

Even with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden both out, Loveland was unable to stand out in a passing game that was largely devoid of talent. Loveland saw just four targets on the day and turned them into 30 forgettable yards. Fantasy managers shouldn’t view him as anything more than a TE2 in Week 17 against the 49ers.

Burden injured his ankle in Week 15 and was completely unable to practice this week. He and WR Rome Odunze (foot) have both been ruled out, while RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and TE Cole Kmet (ankle/knee) are listed as questionable to play. Bears TE Colston Loveland and WRs DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus stand to benefit.

Odunze was listed with heel and ankle injuries in October and November. On December 5th, he was reportedly considered week-to-week with a stress fracture in his foot. The Bears held him out of their Week 14 game on December 7th, but allowed him to resume practicing in Week 15. He then aggravated the stress fracture during pre-game warmups. It’s an extremely unfortunate series of events. The Bears will also be without WR Luther Burden (ankle) against the Packers on Saturday, reducing target competition for TE Colston Loveland and WRs DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus. Bears RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and TE Cole Kmet (ankle/knee) are questionable to play.

Loveland continues to split time with Cole Kmet, which couldn’t be more frustrating for fantasy managers given the difference in production lately. Coming off a game with four catches, 29 yards and a touchdown against the Packers, Loveland had another four catches for 63 yards. Kmet caught just 2-of-4 targets. Loveland is stuck in TE2 purgatory until Kmet is fully phased out.

Loveland split reps with Cole Kmet. The Bears ran plenty of 12-personnel, meaning there were enough tight end routes for both players to take the field for more than half of Caleb Williams’ dropbacks, though only by a small margin. Loveland logged a 58 percent route rate. He made the most of his opportunities by coming up with a one-yard score via a play-action toss at the goal line. Loveland is still stuck in a committee on a team that wants to play run-first football, making him more of an exciting TE2 than a true TE1 heading into Week 15.

We do not yet know Odunze’s Friday practice participation level, but he was sidelined on Wednesday and Thursday. We suspect he was again unable to go today. Odunze’s 23.9 percent team target share leads all Bears pass catchers by at least 8.0 percent. Removing him from the offense frees up a significant number of opportunities for WR DJ Moore, WR Luther Burden and TE Colston Loveland. All three receive a small bump in their potential ceiling outcomes.

Loveland was unable to clear 40 yards; a mark he had cleared for the past four games, but it’s worth noting that he tied for the team lead in targets. It just wasn’t a day that the Bears had much success in the passing game, in part due to wind and in large part due to rushing for 281 yards. Loveland should still be a TE2 for Week 14 against the Packers.

This was the fourth straight game Loveland cleared 40 yards, while he’s now caught at least three balls six straight weeks. That’s not the world’s highest floor, but it is a legitimate one. It has made Loveland a safe TE2 who can spike a TE1 week in the right game environment. That is unlikely to be Week 13 as the Bears head east for an Eagles road date, but Loveland is a player who could start producing even more down the stretch.

Kmet played ahead of rookie TE Colston Loveland. He ran 26 routes, compared to 21 routes for Loveland, in a Bears offense that has increased its usage of two tight end sets in recent weeks. Loveland caught three of his four targets for 40 yards against Minnesota. Coming into Week 11, Kmet had had four straight games with fewer than three targets. He’s only a deep-league fantasy option for now.

The efficient Loveland continues to be a tertiary pass catcher in the Bears’ run-heavy offense. He ran 21 routes in Week 11 to 26 routes for Cole Kmet, who had two catches for 45 yards on five targets. When Kmet is healthy and in the lineup, Loveland is hardly playable in 12-team leagues. Loveland has 15 receptions over Kmet’s past five healthy outings. He’ll be a desperation streaming play in Week 12 against the Steelers.