Fantasy Preview: Bears Receiving Corps Should Help Williams But Hurt WR Upside

By Jack Dougherty

Another year, another offseason filled with Chicago Bears hype. This summer, the Bears landed the most coveted head coach candidate on the market in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and upgraded the offensive line by adding center Drew Dalman, guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, and rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Chicago also drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III to pair with D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, so Caleb Williams is set up to thrive in his second season at the helm. 

As much as general manager Ryan Poles beefed up the offense, the defense remains largely the same from the group that ranked 30th in yards allowed per play (5.9) and 27th in rushing yards allowed per game (136.3) last season. Unless Williams makes a huge leap in 2025, the Bears could struggle to make the playoffs in a brutally tough division. 

Odds to Make Playoffs: +194

• Quarterback: Caleb Williams

  • 2024-25 stats: 17 games, 351-562, 62.5% completion, 3,541 yards, 6.3 yards per attempt, 87.8 passer rating, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

  • Williams was the 24th-ranked quarterback in terms of fantasy points per game as a rookie, but he should be much better in 2025 with a sturdy offensive line and dynamic group of weapons around him. The USC product didn’t score a single rushing touchdown last season despite running for 483 yards. That almost certainly happen again, so Williams’ upside is finishing as a top-10 fantasy QB. 
    

• Running Back: D’Andre Swift 

  • 2024-25 stats: 17 games, 253 carries, 959 yards, 3.8 average, 6 touchdowns, 56.4 yards/game, 2 fumbles lost

  • Swift had the quietest 959 rushing yards in the NFL last season, but his inefficiency (3.8 yards per carry) and lack of touchdowns (six total) led to him ranking only 21st among running backs in fantasy points per game. With a much-improved offensive line now in front of him, Swift should be able to reach the second level and flash his speed more this year. Consider him a mid-RB2 with upside. 

• Wide Receiver: D.J. Moore

  • 2024-25 stats: 17 games, 98 receptions, 140 targets, 966 yards, 9.9 average, 6 touchdowns, 56.8 yards/game, 588 yards after catch

  • Moore reeled in a career-high 98 receptions last season, but he also recorded career-low marks in yards per target (6.9) and average depth of target (7.5). There are even more mouths to feed on Chicago’s offense in 2025, so Moore is nothing more than a low-end WR2 in fantasy. 

• Tight End: Colston Loveland: 

  • 2024-25 stats (Michigan): 10 games, 56 receptions, 82 targets, 582 yards, 10.4 average, 5 touchdowns, 58.2 yards/game

  • Loveland is an exceptional athlete with great size (6-foot-6, 248 pounds) and elite speed and ball skills for a tight end. He’ll be a productive red-zone target for Williams in Year 1, but his volume may not be high enough to give him top-10 tight end upside. 

• Defense

  • 2024-25 stats: 21.8 points allowed per game, 37.56% 3rd down, 47.37% 4th down, 11 interceptions, 40 sacks, 17 fumbles caused, 13 fumbles recovered, 1 touchdown

  • The Bears finished last season as the 12th-ranked defense in fantasy, but most of that was thanks to their 17 forced fumbles and third-ranked red-zone defense. Those figures probably aren’t sustainable, and Chicago didn’t make any notable defensive upgrades in the offseason.