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How will Chicago Bears No. 1 draft pick Colson Loveland impact your fantasy team? Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

2025 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears fantasy football fallout

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Alan Goldsher | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 12:34 PM ET

It’s April, a time when rational people think it’s way too early to begin a discussion about fantasy football.

But as everybody knows, we fantasy players aren’t anywhere near rational—to us, fake football is worth a chin-wag 24/7/365—so even though that, as of this writing, the 2025 NFL Draft still has two more days to go, we’re going to break down how tight end Colston Loveland’s arrival in Chicago could impact the fantasy fortunes of the Bears’ skill players.

We begin, of course, with the most important position in sports.

How Loveland Impacts Caleb Williams

Last season, while performing under the ignominious schemes of exiled play callers Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown, the Chicago Bears all but ignored the tight end position.

The combo platter of Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, and Marcedes Lewis combined for 56 catches on 69 targets, while managing a piddly four touchdowns. Whether that was due to a lousy playbook or lousy playing is up for debate, but regardless of how we got there, we were there.

Last season, the Detroit Lions—while playing in a scheme drawn up by new Bears head coach Ben Johnson—were a veritable tight end factory, with Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Shane Zylstra racking up 848 yards, 74 receptions, 100 targets, and nine tuddies, almost doubling Chicago’s production.

brb enjoying some Sam LaPorta highlights
pic.twitter.com/r8BvVu0SmL
— Barstool Detroit (@BSMotorCity) July 18, 2024

Needless to say, Johnson will utilize Loveland and current Bears TE1 Cole Kmet way more than Waldron or Jones would’ve even considered, giving QB Caleb Williams two more toys to play with.

Me, I’d be comfortable drafting any starting quarterback in a Ben Johnson system, and the amped-up tight end situation makes Williams that much more appealing.

Trending: Up

How Loveland Impacts the Running Game

D’Andre Swift wasn’t a particularly appealing fantasy prospect before Loveland entered the mix—he finished 18th among running backs in fantasy points last season—and with the tight end position sucking up more oxygen, he’ll be an even crappier option come next fall.

D'Andre Swift managers watching the Bears hand it off to an OL at the goal line who then proceeds to fumble pic.twitter.com/t8PrO5J3HU
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) October 27, 2024

Chicago will likely land another running back later in the draft, further killing Swift’s value. So no thank you.

Trending: Down

How Loveland Impacts the Wide Receiver Group

If history has proven anything, it’s that Johnson knows how to draw up a killer spread-the-ball passing game.

Last season, target-monster Amon-Ra St. Brown was thrown to 141 times, but Johnson still managed to feed Jameson Williams (91 targets), Sam LaPorta (83), Jahmyr Gibbs (63) and, of all people, Tim Patrick (44).

For contrast, Chicago’s three top targeted receivers saw higher volume—D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze were thrown to, respectively, 140, 121, and 101 times. But most everybody else on the roster was ignored.

DJ Moore with blockers ahead for a Bears TD #DaBears

: #MINvsCHI on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zMOPWdXAUV
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

That said, the Loveland/Kmet duo could steal a few yards and a small handful of touchdowns from Moore et al, but not enough to have us shying away from drafting any of them.

Trending: Very slightly down

How Loveland Impacts the Tight End Room

Kmet is screwed.

Yes, Johnson will draw up plenty of plays for both tight ends, but it’s likely that he’ll lean on the guy he picked rather than the guy who was brought into the house by former (terrible) GM Ryan Pace. In a ten-man fantasy league, Kmet is now a waiver wire pickup at best.

Loveland, however, could be worth a late-round flyer, especially in 12- or 14-man leagues. But if the rookie is, indeed, LaPorta 2.0, he’ll be a slick little pickup in your season-long league, and an even better option in DFS.