There aren’t many offenses in the NFL these days that generate as much optimism within the fantasy football community as the Chicago Bears. This is a team clearly on the rise, and with a young nucleus, the ceiling really might be the roof. How does Rome Odunze fit into the production puzzle in 2026 and beyond? Let’s take a look.
Should You Draft Rome Odunze in Fantasy Football?
Odunze’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
Odunze was selected with the ninth overall pick in 2024 after consecutive 1,100+ yard seasons at Washington and boasting an NFL-ready body (6’3” and 214 pounds). As a pro, however, life hasn’t been quite as easy.
He averaged just 8.5 PPG as a rookie and has posted a sub-54% catch rate in both of his seasons in the Windy City. Some of that is to be expected given his skill set (14.3 career aDOT, with 41.4% of his targets coming at least 15 yards downfield) and the integration of a young quarterback. We saw signs of extreme growth last September (a TD in four straight games to open the season, a stretch that saw him earn 8.8 targets per game), but that faded a bit as Luther Burden’s star began to rise.
For the Bears to level up the way that we all think is possible, Odunze is going to be a part of it, and that is why he’s a fine pick in the early sixth round of redraft leagues this season. That lands him in the Carnell Tate, Mike Evans, and Christian Watson tier—a grouping of receivers where nothing is safe to assume for a variety of reasons.
This is where he belongs, though I’d caution against overexposing yourself to him at this cost. Not only is there opportunity cost (personally, this falls in the “onesie” sweet spot for me with players like Tyler Warren, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Daniels, and Joe Burrow being on the board), but what is a realistic volume projection?
Burden (lingering groin injury, but expected to be on the field Week 1) and Colston Loveland, for me at least, rank slightly ahead of him in the target hierarchy in Chicago, and D’Andre Swift averages a tick over three receptions per game for his career. That calls into question his floor, and that’s before we even consider the defensive issues (22nd in third-down conversion rate and 29th in yards per play) that could keep this offense sidelined for extended stretches.
I’m in on the idea of this profile growing with this offense, but the price is closer to expensive than a bargain right now, and that has me not making this click with regularity.
Odunze’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
I think he is a talented player, but so does everyone else in your league. My take for dynasty pretty much mirrors my take in redraft in that I’m not betting against him as much as I am betting on the players around him.
An athletic QB like Williams naturally comes with a smaller passing pie, and I’m just not sold that Odunze’s piece of the action is going to be enough to justify how he is currently being viewed.
His price is a bit inflated because of the draft capital that this team spent on him in 2024 and the fact that Ben Johnson is a genius. However, over the past decade, the WR1 playing next to a tight end who scored 15+ PPR PPG for a season finished, on average, as fantasy’s WR24.
That’s fine and wouldn’t kill you, but most don’t believe that Odunze is the WR1 in this offense long-term—potentially as soon as this year. Wanting a piece of a unit like this makes sense and is, directionally, the right idea; but at cost, you’re taking on risks in the volume department that aren’t properly dragging down his value within the industry the way I believe they should.
What could you get in a package where you send Odunze away? Our FREE Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer can help you sift through the specifics and craft a deal that works for all parties.
