Bears draft Colston Loveland: Fantasy Football outlooks, plus is he already in the mix for TE1 status?

We knew the Bears would probably lean offense with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and they selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. He has the chance to be a borderline No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues this season.

Loveland is part of a massive rebuild on offense in Chicago. The Bears hired former Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the head coach, and Chicago spent a lot of money on offense in free agency by signing center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.

Loveland, the first tight end selected in the NFL Draft this season, is a major addition to the passing game. We're all hopeful quarterback Caleb Williams will improve in his second year, and Loveland could help the Bears replace Keenan Allen, who is a free agent.

Even though the Bears have Cole Kmet on the roster, we expect Loveland to get a healthy amount of targets and work well with D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. Chicago will run plenty of 12 personnel to get Loveland and Kmet on the field together, and the Bears obviously have a plan in place to use Loveland a lot.

At Michigan, Loveland proved to be a dynamic weapon in the passing game. In 10 games last season, he had 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns, but NFL  talent evaluators believe he is capable of much more.

The Bears agree, which is why they made this move. And Fantasy managers will hopefully benefit.

In redraft leagues, Loveland is worth a mid- to late-round pick as a borderline No. 1 tight end. And he's a first-round selection in rookie-only drafts for dynasty leagues. 

He has plenty of upside, but we also have to be somewhat cautious with our optimism. There are several prominent mouths to feed with Moore, Odunze and Kmet. And Williams still has to prove he can improve on his disappointing rookie campaign from 2024.

Fantasy managers shouldn't view Loveland as the next Brock Bowers, who was a star in his rookie campaign with the Raiders in 2024. But Loveland could evolve into a weekly starter in all leagues.

The addition of Loveland is a boost for Williams, who should be considered a potential No. 1 Fantasy quarterback this season. With the upgrade at coach, offensive line and now another weapon, things continue to look up for Williams, who is worth drafting with a late-round pick.

I don't plan to downgrade Moore or Odunze with this selection. Moore should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, and he's worth drafting in Round 4. And Odunze is a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver worth selecting with a mid-round pick. Both receivers should benefit because of Johnson, especially if Williams gets better protection and more time to throw from the pocket.

Kmet, unfortunately, loses value with the addition of Loveland. Kmet could still be a primary target for the Bears, but Loveland should become the No. 1 tight end and make Kmet tough to trust heading into this season.

For more on Colston Loveland, you can read what my colleague Dave Richard wrote here.