In the 2025 draft, the Chicago Bears made some splashy offensive picks that were worth rolling the dice on in fantasy. This year, the draft was very different, but with how fantasy football has changed, there are still plenty of leagues that utilize enough different formats that, depending on how the league is run, some of these rookies could be useful. Let’s take a look.
Dillon Thieneman- Safety: If you are in redraft IDP leagues, it will depend on your formats and how many safeties (or perhaps you have a DB category) that you utilize. For Thieneman to have value in a redraft league, you’ll probably need to be starting about 3 DBs in a 12 or 14-team league. Thieneman might be a low-end starter, but most likely a rotational reserve. I think if you start a safety position, it’s fair to consider Thieneman ranked somewhere between 25 and 40, and if you have a DB slot, he’s probably closer to the 35 to 50 range. If you are in a redraft IDP league but only start 1 DB or S, Thieneman probably isn’t worth a selection.
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In dynasty leagues with IDPs, that’s a totally different story. I’m in 3 dynasty leagues that utilize IDPs, and in the rookie drafts, Thieneman’s average draft position was 24. Thieneman projects as one of the top 10 safeties in dynasties, doing their initial draft, and I have him as S2 behind Caleb Downs in rookie rankings. Among all IDP rookies, I have him 6th behind Sonny Styles, David Bailey, Arvell Reese, Rueben Bain, and Caleb Downs. Thieneman has strong value in dynasty formats as long as your scoring system rewards defensive backs who tackle.
Sam Roush- Tight End: Roush has zero value in redraft leagues and, at present, doesn’t have much value in dynasty formats either. The best plan with Roush in dynasty is to let him go to the waiver wire, which he should, and know that if Cole Kmet is ever traded or released, or if he’s injured and will miss significant time, that Roush is worth a waiver wire pick up at that point.
Roush projects as the TE3 and, as long as Kmet is on the team, doesn’t have much value as a pass catcher. If the Bears move on from Kmet (and I don’t expect them to any time soon), that would be the time to snatch Roush as a tight end with some upside value.
Zavion Thomas- Wide Receiver: Let’s just put aside the “Was Thomas overdrafted?” debate and just discuss Thomas from a straight fantasy value perspective. Again, we look at Thomas and say he has no value in redraft leagues this year. If you are in redraft leagues that count return yardage, he could be worth a late-round stash if the Bears plan to utilize him as a returner significantly this year, but even that is still a long shot at best to contribute.
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In dynasty leagues, you would have to be a part of an extremely deep format to consider drafting him. For example, I am in 3 dynasty leagues where you have roughly 50 players on your roster on offense and defense, and Thomas was drafted in round 5 (of 6) in one league, and he went undrafted in the others (in leagues that utilize return yards too).
The best bet with Thomas is to let him go undrafted in dynasty leagues and keep an eye on how the Bears are utilizing him during OTAs and training camp. If Thomas is getting offensive snaps with the 1s and being utilized as a serious threat, if you want to grab him off the wire and see if he gets a handful of opportunities on offense, that might be the most optimistic view of him.
Malik Muhammad- Cornerback: I just don’t see value here in any format. It’s tough to find elite CBs in fantasy because you still need tackles at the root of the defensive player’s value. Shutdown corners have no value in fantasy. The best bet for Muhammad to have value is for him to earn the starting job opposite Jaylon Johnson, and Johnson returns to form and opposing QBs pick on Muhammad, and he gives up a lot of receptions and yardage, and thus, gets tackles.
If Muhammad is struggling, the Bears have viable options like Tyrique Stevenson, who can step in and play, so this isn’t a “let the kid develop” situation. The Bears need quality play out of their secondary and will play the best player. With how little value CBs have in IDP formats and even less in dynasty formats, there’s simply no reason to draft Muhammad in any format.
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Keyshaun Elliott- Linebacker: Elliott has no value in redraft IDP leagues because I don’t see him getting many defensive snaps this year, unless the Bears have significant injuries to their linebacker room. But if you are in a dynasty league with IDPs, if your league is deep enough, stashing Elliott for a year may not be a bad idea (especially if your league utilizes taxi squads).
Linebackers have value in basically any IDP format, and Elliott will absolutely have a chance to be one of the two starting Bears LBs in 2027. TJ Edwards will be gone, and Elliott will be competing with D’Marco Jackson for the other starting spot next to Devin Bush. If you are a believer in Elliott and are in a deep league, stash him on your bench/taxi squad this year and see if you found yourself a starting LB in 2027. If you do want to draft Elliott, make sure you do it late in the draft. No reason to draft him before the 5th or 6th round.
Jordan van den Berg- Defensive Tackle: Again, no surprise, but van den Berg has no value in IDP redraft leagues, and you’d have to squint really hard to see if he has any value in a dynasty format as well. Most league scoring doesn’t value DTs, and even the good ones offer very little value. If your league’s point system gives bonuses to DTs so they have more value, you could consider van den Berg, but even then, it’s a long shot.
When looking at van den Berg, this is an athletic freak with a huge upside that is boom or bust potential, and, if we’re being honest, the buts far outweigh the boom when you draft a guy late in round 6. But he’s a fun guy to bet on. I think van den Berg is a guy that you do not draft, and if he starts making an impact or even if he starts just seeing an increase in snaps where the Bears clearly believe in him, that’s when perhaps you attack on the waiver wire and stash him at that point, but getting him straight out of the draft seems like a wasted pick.