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

If you want Luther Burden III on your fantasy roster this season, Matthew Berry has a warning for you. You are not going to get him late.

Asked about the Bears receiver and the Chicago offense in general, Berry did not hedge. "He's a trendy sleeper this year in fantasy football and rightfully so," Berry said, pointing to the way Burden "kind of exploded over the second half of the year, really came into his own."

The setup around him is the argument. Berry is a fan of Ben Johnson's play calling, and with DJ Moore now in Buffalo, there are targets sitting on the table in Chicago waiting to be claimed. That opens a real debate at the top of the depth chart. "I think there's a very legit argument as to whether or not you want Luther Burden this year versus Rome Odunze," Berry said, noting that Odunze was a top 10 overall pick. Colston Loveland is in the mix too.

Berry's broader position is that you should not be trying to pick a winner among them. "I think Caleb Williams has a big year this year. I think the entire Bears offense," he said. "I think you want as many pieces of the Bears offense as you can get."

Which brings the conversation to the part that will make draft-day cowards uncomfortable. Burden is popular. Popular players do not fall. "If you're going to want him, you're going to need to draft him early cuz there's a lot of people that like him a lot."

Then Berry offered the most useful thing anyone can tell you in July, and he offered it against his own product.

"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. Rankings are a guideline."

His example was Jeremiah Love. He gets the question constantly from people holding the fifth pick who want Love and are worried that taking him there is a reach. Berry's answer is that the reach is the point. "You're not getting him on the come around. If you want Jeremiah Love, then draft him. Draft him at the fifth pick."

Is that higher than Berry currently has him ranked? Yes. He does not care.

"Fantasy football is a game we ultimately play for fun," Berry said, "and the minute the first snap happens, all the rankings are out the window."