2025 Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update: Luther Burden

Luther Burden | © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty managers, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In our Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit. The basis of the rookie profile involves the usage of STORM analysis, focusing on five key components: Situation, Talent, Opportunity, Risk, and Market.

Situation

Name: Luther Burden

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Chicago Bears

College Team: Missouri

Draft Status: Round two, pick 39

Burden started ten games in his freshman season and performed admirably, finishing with 45 catches for 375 yards and six touchdowns through the air, paired with two rushing touchdowns and a special teams touchdown. Burden’s nine total scores were the second highest among true freshmen in the SEC behind Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins.

Burden built on this in his sophomore season where he truly broke out, finishing with 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and 9 touchdowns. This led him to finish as a Biletnikoff Award semi-finalist (awarded to the best WR in all of college football), as well as First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-America honours. This solidified his status as the top receiver in the SEC in 2023 and the hype for Burden as the top receiver eligible for the 2024 draft grew even further.

Excitement was growing for what he could do in his junior season, but it ultimately disappointed as the QB play at Mizzou dropped off starkly. His drop-off in production can be put down to Brady Cook only passing for 2,535 yards, but it was still a shame to see him fall off from the growth pathway that you would have envisioned for a top WR prospect.

Burden landing with the Bears was ultimately a surprise, but felt a perfect fit when the dust began to settle. He complements Rome Odunze’s skillset nicely, and with Ben Johnson starting talk that DJ Moore could be moved on, he lands in an explosive offense with the chance to win the starting slot role. Luther Burden in the Amon-Ra St. Brown role? Yes please.

Talent

NFL Combine Results – Credit: NFL.com.

Burden might have the most electric film of any wide receiver in this class. If you just watch highlight reels, it would be very easy to place him as your top receiver. He is unbelievable after the catch, explosive and able to cut on a dime to make defenders miss, and can win early and separate with ease.

Burden’s combine and measurables were no more than fine (although he does have small hands), but watching his 2023 film gives you an impression of what he can be as a YAC threat in Johnson’s revamped Bears offense.

Opportunity

Courtesy of 4for4.

Here’s where it gets a little complicated for Burden. He not only has to compete with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, but the Bears also drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round. However, they wouldn’t have done so without clear roles for these players. If we look at the Lions, Burden and Loveland could be clear comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, who fit together perfectly.

One of these receivers will have a chance to establish themselves as the alpha and as Caleb Williams’ favourite target. At this point, it could be any of them.

Risk

Burden’s collegiate stats courtesy of Sports Reference.

Burden is one of my favourite receivers in this class. But there’s a lot of risk attached to his profile.

Firstly, as above, he comes into an exciting situation but a crowded one. The upside is that Moore and Odunze weren’t signed/drafted by this regime, but the other three players Burden is competing with for targets are all first-round picks.

The risky factor for Burden is highlighting his 2024 season in college. Was this drop-off a quarterback problem? An offensive problem as a whole? Or was it a Burden issue? He’s been accused of effort issues and of phoning it in once it was clear that it wasn’t working. Will that continue to be the case in the NFL, or will effort concerns be a thing of the past?

It’s clear that Burden has landed in maybe the best possible landing spot in terms of QB and head coach. Whether he can seize that opportunity is yet to be seen.

Market

Dynasty Value – Credit: DLF May 2025 Superflex Rookie Dynasty ADP.

Burden’s value is one of the parts of rookie ADP that I just can’t understand. He was drafted as the fifth WR off the board, to a better situation than Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden, yet his value has slipped from the consensus WR3 all the way down to the WR6. I’ve been hoovering up Burden shares in the late first and early second as the consensus on him falls.

Courtesy of May 2025 Superflex Dynasty ADP.

In startup dynasty superflex drafts, Burden is going as the WR33 and the 78th overall player, available all the way down in the sixth or seventh round. This puts him as the third WR on the Bears, behind WR20 Rome Odunze and WR21 DJ Moore.

Courtesy of DLF’s trade analyzer

The DLF trade analyzer sees Burden up there with the third or fourth tier of WRs – either young WRs with some knocks against them but breakout upside, like Brandon Aiyuk or Chris Olave, or just below the tier of WRs who are number twos on their own team but elite elsewhere, like DeVonta Smith or Tee Higgins.

I’ll be honest, I can’t understand why Burden getting drafted to Chicago has knocked him so much. He’s my 1.11 in superflex and I’m drafting him with confidence – even knowing the risks of his profile.

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Lewis Wood

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Lewis is a Rams fan from the UK who is obsessive over dynasty leagues. League mates have accused him of being way too trade happy but it works out when you bring home titles!

You can hear more from Lewis on his YouTube channel 'Fantasy Pancake' https://youtube.com/@fantasypancake?si=U7BLlUCqY38dTsEv