RADIO
Colston Loveland's Volume Cools Off in Final Game Before Bye Week
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland caught four of his six targets for 54 yards during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Loveland played 86% of the snaps, and he came just six yards shy of extending his streak of double-digit fantasy points (PPR) to four games. Even though he didn't quite hit that benchmark, most fantasy managers will be okay with Loveland's performance. It's a whole lot better than how he was performing at the start of the year, and he should have no trouble bouncing back as a mid-range TE1 when the Bears return to action on the other side of their bye against the Lions in Week 11. There's also an outside chance that he could be headed for a larger target share if wide receiver Luther Burden III (concussion) is unable to clear concussion protocol by the time the Bears step back on the field two weeks from now.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rome Odunze Finds the End Zone, Could be Headed for Larger Role
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze caught four of his seven targets for 60 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Odunze played 83.6% of the snaps in the victory, which is a very interesting data point, considering that he had not previously played less than 90% of the snaps in a single game since Week 4. The slight reduction in snaps didn't seem to have any sort of negative effect on Odunze, who has firmly established himself as a high-end WR3/flex with high-end WR2 upside. He could also be headed for a higher ceiling temporarily if Luther Burden III (concussion) misses extended time. The Bears are on bye in Week 10 before returning to action against the Detroit Lions in Week 11.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Luther Burden III Diagnosed with a Concussion
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (concussion) was diagnosed with a concussion following Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Ben Johnson told Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. Burden exited after taking a scary head-to-head hit late in the fourth quarter of the Bears' victory. He immediately collapsed to the ground after the hit and required medical assistance. The 22-year-old finished Week 9 with nine targets, seven catches, 97 yards, and one touchdown. If there's any good news here, it's that the Bears have a Week 10 bye, so Burden will get extra time to recover. Clearing concussion protocol in one week is tricky, but Burden will have 14 days for his symptoms to improve before the Bears play again. In the event that his recovery takes longer than expected and he has to miss Week 11 as well, then Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas would handle a significant increase in offensive snaps.
Source: Courtney Cronin
Source: Courtney Cronin
Caleb Williams' Four Picks Nearly Spoil an Early Lead
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 22 of 37 pass attempts for 279 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and four interceptions during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also rushed for 16 yards in the victory. Williams said that four turnovers are the most he's ever recorded in a single game across the high school, collegiate, and professional ranks, and he vowed to clean up the mistakes going forward. The 24-year-old had just one turnover coming into this week, so perhaps we can chalk up Week 9 as a fluke for the former No. 1 pick. We do feel confident in Williams remaining a solid QB1 option on the other side of his Week 10 bye, but he may have a slightly lower floor if Luther Burden III (concussion) is forced to miss extended time.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Luther Burden III Suffers Scary Head Injury Late in Win Over Bucs
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (head) was taken to the medical tent for evaluation after he was on the receiving end of a head-to-head hit in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. It was a scary hit that caused Burden to fumble the football. He collapsed face-first onto the ground and had to be helped off the field by medical personnel. The game ended before the Bears could post an update on Burden's status, but he will presumably be evaluated for a concussion, and possibly other injuries, too. If Burden does end up in concussion protocol, the good news is that the Bears have a Week 10 bye, so he would have a full 14 days to recover before Chicago's next game against the New Orleans Saints. If the injury ends up being even more serious and forces Burden to miss games, then we'd likely see Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas earn more targets behind Rome Odunze in the wide receiver room.
Source: Courtney Cronin
Source: Courtney Cronin
D'Andre Swift Highly Disappointing on Sunday Night Football
Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift rushed for 31 yards on 12 carries during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was unable to haul in his lone target in the passing game. Although Chicago came away with the victory, Swift had his worst game of the season. This was just his second single-digit (PPR) fantasy output of the season, as well as his first game this year with fewer than 8.4 points. The game script seemed like it should have led to a large workload for Swift, so perhaps we'll just have to chalk this game up as an outlier. Swift still ranks as a mid-range RB1 in total scoring so far this season, but with teammate Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) close to returning, the veteran ball-carrier may have to share some of his volume, which would drop him closer to the low-end RB1 or high-end RB2 tier. On a more positive note, Swift will have a relatively appealing matchup against the Saints on the other side of his Week 10 bye.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kyle Monangai Inactive for Sunday Night Football
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 9 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monangai entered this weekend listed as questionable, but his status was trending in the wrong direction. By sitting out Sunday's game, Monangai will now get even more time ot recover, as the Bears are on their bye in Week 10. His next chance to play will come in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints. Monangai projects as the Bears' No. 2 running back behind D'Andre Swift, but he should still maintain standalone value in most fantasy leagues. After all, he was averaging more than 16 touches per game when healthy, although that number is slightly skewed by a 30-carry performance in Week 4.
Source: Kevin Fishbain
Source: Kevin Fishbain
Kyle Monangai Not Expected to Play on Sunday Night
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (toe, thumb) was spotted on the field doing pregame work with trainers but is still not expected to play in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Zach Pearson reported via the X platform. The 24-year-old has not played since Week 4 when he had 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-12 win against the New York Jets. He has 60 carries for 324 yards and three rushing touchdowns this season and is projected to return after Chicago's Week 10 bye. D'Andre Swift continues to carry the workload for the Bears' ground game, amassing 143 carries for 545 yards and a league-leading 10 rushing touchdowns over eight games.
Source: Zach Pearson
Source: Zach Pearson
Kyle Monangai Won't Play Sunday, Expected to Return in Week 11
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) will not play in Sunday's Week 9 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, he is expected to return in Week 11, following the Bears' bye week. Once Monangai is confirmed as inactive on Sunday, he will have officially missed five consecutive games. The Bears left the door open for him to suit up this week, but it was always going to be a longshot after he missed two consecutive practices, followed by a limited session on Friday. The Bears will continue to lean on D'Andre Swift, who ranks as the overall RB4 in PPR leagues this season and is averaging a whopping 20.9 touches per game this season. He also has 10 touchdowns, which ties his previous career high, despite the fact that we're not even halfway through the 2026 season yet. Swift has been impressive, but we do expect Monangai to carve out a meaningful role as a fantasy RB3/flex upon his return. Before he got injured, the Rutgers product was averaging 15 carries per game, although that number was somewhat skewed by a 30-carry effort in Week 4.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Kalif Raymond Belongs on the Bench for Week 9
Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond has seen a reduced role on offense over the last five weeks, making him an unappealing fantasy option for Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raymond appeared to be headed for a much larger role than expected at the start of the year, but he cooled off in Week 4 and has yet to rebound since then. He did post 7.3 PPR points last week, but even that number was inflated by a 39-yard rush, which he likely won't replicate going forward. If you ignore the rushing attempt, Raymond would have fewer than 4.0 PPR points in each of his last five games. This week's matchup won't do him any favors, either, as the Bucs have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2026. Raymond can be left on the bench in most fantasy leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chicago Bears D/ST Poised to Test Surging Bucs
The Chicago Bears D/ST is on an upward trajectory heading into a Week 9 meeting with the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Chicago is coming off an excellent team win against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks a game ago. The offense excelled in the toughest matchup, though the defense did its part again as well. The addition of defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons paid immediate dividends, as he recorded a team-high six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and two tackles for loss. It was a stellar debut, and he now significantly boosts a defensive unit that was already top three against the rush (86.8) and improved on the back end. Tampa Bay has surged recently via their ground attack, but they'll be forced to compete through the air this Sunday night against a high-octane Chicago offense. The Bears unit ranks as RotoBaller's D/ST8 for the weekend's slate.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Cairo Santos a Good Bet for Fantasy in Week 9
Chicago Bears placekicker Cairo Santos is again a strong fantasy option for this Sunday's home matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Santos has laid a few clunkers this season, but has mostly been reliable for the Bears and owners. It was encouraging to see the 34-year-old veteran break his miss streak in Week 8, after knocking through all of his kicks in a game for the first time since a win over the Jets in Week 4. While he'll always be somewhat capped by the offense's ability to score touchdowns, Santos may experience a bit of a boost this week against what's been a downright impressive Bucs defense. If Tampa Bay can limit Chicago like they have their past few opponents, Santos may get a few more field-goal opportunities than managers have come to expect. Even with the stiff test ahead, the Tulane product lands as RotoBaller's K7 for Sunday's outing.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyle Monangai a Risky Start if Active
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (toe, thumb) has been officially listed as questionable for this weekend's home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monangai logged a limited practice session on Friday - his first practice in any capacity since sustaining thumb and toe injuries in the team's Week 4 win over the Jets. It's good news for the 24-year-old, but he's far from a recommended fantasy play if active, as backfield mate D'Andre Swift has been excellent, and the Bears also have teammate Roschon Johnson to turn to if Monangai isn't capable of handling his typical workload. In addition, Tampa Bay's defensive unit has been the league's best on a yards-per-game basis (80) against the run, as well as a top-five scoring defense (18.9). With a myriad of factors working against the New Jersey native, he's better left out of fantasy lineups for now. Monangai is RotoBaller's PPR RB43 for this week's slate of action.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Rome Odunze a Fine Week 9 Flex
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is a sound WR3 play for this weekend's home matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Odunze is coming off one of his better games of the campaign, ripping off three receptions of at least 20 yards (4/87) in an impressive win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. It's true the University of Washington product hasn't exhibited the upside that teammate Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland have for fantasy. However, Odunze plays a critical role in the intermediate area for quarterback Caleb Williams, breaking free on big, in-breaking routes to pick up explosive plays. He also has decent upside as a low-end WR3. Chicago won't have it easy against one of the league's least-forgiving fantasy defenses in the Buccaneers, but Williams has excelled more often than not this season, and Odunze has proven a decent back-end asset, even on a limited reception total. The 24-year-old ranks as RotoBaller's PPR WR32 for Sunday night's bout.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Luther Burden III Maintains Strong Fantasy Value Vs. Tampa Bay
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has solidified himself as a go-to option ahead of a Sunday night matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 22-year-old St. Louis, Missouri native failed to lead the team in receiving for the fourth straight game in a win over the Seahawks, though he was still tied for tops in targets (nine) and receptions (seven) with tight end Colston Loveland. As it stands, the only knock against Burden is his lack of involvement in the second half of games. However, that isn't entirely his fault, as a run-heavy game script to close out victories has robbed him of a few monster outings. Unfortunately, he and the Bears' attack will be met with an imposing test in Week 9 when they take on a vaunted Buccaneers defense that has impressed over the last month. It isn't ideal, but quarterback Caleb Williams' stellar play has raised the offense's floor, making Burden an enticing weekly fantasy asset despite a less-than-full-time role. The second-year pro is RotoBaller's PPR WR11 for the weekend's festivities.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
