Matthew Berry Predicts a “Monster Season” for Bears WR Luther Burden III

Chris asked Matthew Berry about Luther Burden III, a Bears up and comer he already has stashed at last round value. Berry did not offer a single word of caution.

"I love Luther Burden and I'm not alone," Berry said on the show. "He's a trendy sleeper this year in fantasy football and rightfully so."

The case starts with how last season ended. Berry pointed to the way Burden "kind of exploded over the second half of the year, really came into his own," and then stacked the situational arguments on top of it. He is a believer in Ben Johnson's play calling. He noted that DJ Moore is now in Buffalo, which vacates a meaningful chunk of targets. He thinks Caleb Williams has a big year coming.

That last point is where the recommendation widens out. "I think the entire Bears offense, I think you want as many pieces of the Bears offense as you can get," Berry said, "but specifically Luther Burden, yeah, I'm a big fan. I think a monster year is coming for him."

Berry went further and floated a comparison that would have sounded absurd a year ago. He believes there is "a very legit argument as to whether or not you want Luther Burden this year versus Rome Odunze," and he made a point of reminding everyone that Odunze was a top 10 overall pick. Cole Kmet and Darnell Mooney are still there too, which is the sort of target competition that usually caps a breakout.

Asked where the line is on price, Berry landed on the third to fourth round range and then immediately qualified it, because the honest answer depends on your league. A 12 team, three wide receiver format pushes Burden earlier than a 10 team, two wide receiver format. "It all depends on sort of positional requirements and league size."

Then came the part worth clipping, because it is the least self serving thing a rankings guy can say.

"Look, I do rankings for a living. I've done them for almost three decades. I think I'm pretty good at them," Berry said. "Even I don't follow my rankings to a T."

His framing is that rankings are a guideline and nothing more. He gets the question constantly, usually in the form of someone who wants a specific player at a pick that looks like a reach. His current example is Jeremiah Love at the fifth pick. "Is that higher than I currently have him? It is. But you know what? Fantasy football is a game we ultimately play for fun."

Berry's reasoning is more practical than sentimental. Rankings reflect market value, not certainty, and market value evaporates the moment real football starts. "The minute the first snap happens, all the rankings are out the window."

He proved the point with recent history, asking where Burden was ranked last year, where Caleb Williams was, and where Rico Dowdle was drafted. None of those answers aged well.

So use the rankings, his or anyone else's you trust, as a guideline. Then take the guy.

"If you want Jeremiah Love, if you want Luther Burden, whoever it is you want, get your guys, man."