Colston Loveland vs Emeka Egbuka

“Mike ended the round taking his fourth different position of this draft and going with Bears TE Colston Loveland .”

“Sleeper lists Trey McBride at $34, Brock Bowers for $27, and Colston Loveland at a shamefully low $18.”

“Round 3: Colston Loveland (TE – CHI) Colston Loveland is currently going closer to the fourth round in ADP, but the case here is that he’ll settle into a firm third-round price by the time draft season peaks, similar to how the market was slow to catch up on Trey McBride ‘s ascension a year ago.”

“Loveland is the type of talent who can win downfield, which is exactly what you want from your fantasy tight end. As Caleb Williams heads into Year 2 of the Ben Johnson era, expect more familiarity with the scheme, which can help Loveland eclipse 1,000 yards.”

“Colston Loveland turned it on down the stretch last year, showcasing impressive production from Week 7 through Chicago's Divisional Round loss with 67% route participation, 6.9 targets per game, 65 receptions, 852 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns across 14 games. If his 72.4% route participation rate from the playoffs sticks or takes a step forward, Loveland can be less efficient while still posting monster numbers, putting the overall TE1 in his range of outcomes.”

“Loveland clearly won the favor of Ben Johnson as he had at least 15% of the team's targets in each of the final nine games, ending with 713 total receiving yards. It was a strong showing for the rookie TE, who could very likely lead the team in targets in 2026.”

“Colston Loveland was also in a rotational role for the first 7 weeks, but got his first chance at a full-time role due to Cole Kmet's injury in Week 8. He had a breakout game one week later vs. the Bengals and gradually increased his playing time over the remainder of the season, finally emerging as a true every-down player at the end of the year.”

“Even in a split season of work as a rookie, Loveland showcased his weekly upside. He logged four weeks as a top-three scorer at the position. The only player to match that was Trey McBride, who led the position with eight of those weeks.”

“It took a bit for Loveland to get going as a rookie as he worked his way into the lineup and recovered from an offseason shoulder injury, but the wait was worth it. Over the final five games of the season, Loveland was on the field for 80.9% of the team's dropbacks, receiving a target on 30.5% of his routes with 2.34 yards per route run.”

“Even though he managed just 53 receptions and 713 yards as a rookie, Loveland was fourth at his position in air yards and third in deep targets. If that kind of usage on the field keeps up, Loveland is going to be looking at a ton of deep catches and touchdowns.”

“Colston Loveland started his rookie year slowly but was TE2 in fantasy scoring from Week 9 through the end of the regular season. Over his last four games, the hyper-athletic Loveland averaged 12.0 targets, 7.0 catches, and 94.5 yards, with two touchdowns.”

“Colston Loveland is the heavy favorite to be the third tight end to finish above 200 fantasy points (half-PPR). With the league shifting towards TE-heavy offensive sets, we could see snaps across the position skyrocket.”

“Lastly, if you’re here from Reddit/X/somewhere else, make sure you subscribe to get this newsletter via email every week! Subscribe now Without further ado, enjoy this week’s content👇 and enjoy the game 🏈 Analysis & Hype The only other 5-star-recruit WRs drafted in Round 1 since 2020, besides Emeka Egbuka :”

“Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB) Emeka Egbuka had a 23.5% target share last season, which led the Buccaneers”

“While fantasy players should be excited about Emeka Egbuka , don’t forget about McMillan”

“With Mike Evans gone, Egbuka is positioned for a much larger role in Zac Robinson’s offense. He is one of the more appealing second-year breakout WR candidates in fantasy football.”

“For WR2, the lines are Terry McLaurin and Emeka Egbuka.”

“Emeka Egbuka exploded onto the scene in the first half of the 2025 season. The rookie WR capitalized on the opportunity left by the injured Mike Evans and finished as the WR 20.”

“More importantly, he has been dominant on a very successful Ohio State offense while playing alongside two first-round picks, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate .”

“With Evans now in San Francisco, Egbuka becomes the No. 1 receiver in Tampa Bay.”

“Emeka Egbuka could crush his mid WR2 draft cost this season. Egbuka faded after Week 5 last year after he sustained a hamstring injury, and Baker Mayfield ‘s injury severely impacted his ability to feed catchable targets to the receiving options in Tampa Bay. In Weeks 1-5, Egbuka was the WR3 in fantasy points per game, commanding a 22.1% target share with 89 receiving yards per game, 2.71 yards per route run, a 26.1% first-read share, and 0.104 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data).”

“He started off extremely hot last season before fading down the stretch, but with Mike Evans gone, Egbuka is in line for huge volume and opportunity.”

“A Week 6 hamstring strain, coupled with Baker Mayfield's late-season struggles (including a reported rib injury), saw Egbuka's efficiency crater. However, Egbuka still led the Bucs' WR corps in total offensive snaps (886). Combine this with his 29.4% first-read target share, and it proves he is the offensive engine moving forward.”

“Through Week 5, Egbuka was a top-tier asset, averaging 2.49 Yards Per Route Run (YPRR) and leading all rookies in receiving EPA (11.2). He was the first player since 1970 to catch a game-winning TD in the final minute of his NFL debut.”