With all eyes on the NFL playoffs, players’ dynasty fantasy football values can exponentially soar. Look no further than Xavier Worthy last season, who climbed from WR27 on KeepTradeCut at the end of the regular season to WR20 by the conclusion of the playoffs. This series will profile three players each week who have a chance to skyrocket up the dynasty rankings with great performances in the NFL playoffs. This week, for the Wild Card round, we focus on Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Jayden Higgins.
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Dynasty Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Wild Card Round
WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
Luther Burden’s rookie season started off slow. Through his first eight games, Burden averaged only 2.25 targets per game. However, since Week 11, Burden has seen at least five targets in six out of seven games and averaged six targets per game. Some of this uptick in usage was in part due to an injury to teammate Rome Odunze, who hasn’t played for the Bears since Week 13. But Burden has still excelled in his newfound opportunities, finishing as a top 24 wide receiver in three of seven games since Week 11. This includes a WR1 overall finish in Week 17, where Burden scored 27.8 fantasy points by catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
With Rome Odunze expected to return against the Packers on Wild Card Weekend, it is a fair question if Burden’s end-of-season role will continue. If Burden takes a back seat, his dynasty value will likely remain level or take a slight hit; however, if Burden leapfrogs Odunze in the target pecking order or just outright out-produces Odunze, his dynasty value could skyrocket. The last time Burden played the Packers, he scored 11 fantasy points, finishing as the WR25 for the week. Burden also has only one fewer weekly top 24 wide receiver finish on the season compared to Odunze. The Bears making Burden the priority in the passing game would not be shocking, considering his recent production and the fact that he has been a highly efficient player, averaging 2.79 yards per route run (third among qualified wide receivers).
This may be your final chance to buy low on Luther Burden.
TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Another Bears rookie who excelled as the season wore on was first-round rookie tight end Colston Loveland. Loveland, like his fellow rookie teammate Burden, started his season slowly. He failed to crest a 60% or higher snap share until Week 7. It also wasn’t until Week 8 that he ran more than 15 routes in a game. But from Week 8 onward, Colston Loveland was the TE2 in total fantasy points. Loveland is coming off two consecutive games where he scored over 20 fantasy points, seeing double-digit targets in each contest. On the season, Loveland was a highly efficient rookie producer, finishing in the top 12 among all tight ends in Production Premium, Target Premium, and Explosive Rating.
Loveland now faces the Packers for the third time this season. In Loveland’s most recent matchup against Green Bay, he was sparingly targeted in Week 16, seeing four targets and scoring only 6.0 fantasy points. However, in Week 14, he saw five targets and finished with 12.9 fantasy points, thanks in part to a one-yard receiving touchdown. Loveland also faces more target competition with Rome Odunze‘s return; however, Odunze is utilized more downfield, sporting a 40.4% Deep Target Share compared to Loveland’s 12% Deep Target Share. Essentially, the players are used differently while on the field, meaning Odunze’s return should have a minimal impact on Loveland’s usage. Loveland could enter the Trey McBride tier of dynasty tight ends if he continues to see double-digit targets in the playoffs.
WR Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans
Jayden Higgins has disappointed many dynasty players with his lack of production as a whole this season. The second-round rookie was mired in a wide receiver rotation, which limited him to playing on only 58.8% of Houston’s offensive snaps. With this type of playing time, uneven results followed. Higgins had only three games in which he finished as a top 24 wide receiver or better. His only top 12 finish on the season came in Week 17 against the Chargers. He still saw just four targets in that contest, catching two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Higgins’ dynasty stock should improve next season, with many of his wide receiver teammates slated to become free agents. However, his dynasty stock could explode as early as this week with the Steelers as his opponent. Pittsburgh has the fourth-worst passing defense in the league, surrendering, on average, 244.9 passing yards per game. This is a defense that just got torched by field stretcher Devontez Walker last week. It consistently gave up WR1 weeks to opponents throughout the course of the season. If Higgins can exploit this porous secondary, his dynasty value will be on the rise much sooner than anticipated.
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