Rome Odunze has been almost entirely overshadowed by his own teammate this offseason. The one story that did involve him got mangled in the retelling and left people with the wrong impression about his health.
The actual concern is what happened after Week 4 last season. Fantasy managers should ask whether the gap between the two Chicago receivers is really this wide.
Should I Draft Rome Odunze in Fantasy Football?
All of the hype in Chicago has centered on Luther Burden III. The biggest Odunze story of the offseason was a set of comments about his foot that got taken completely out of context.
Let me clear that up first. Odunze foolishly played through a stress fracture last season, and the injury fundamentally altered the bone structure in his foot. When he described adapting to a “new normal,” plenty of people read that as an admission he is not fully healthy. He is. The foot is not a concern. It’s not injured, just different.
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What is a concern is the sophomore season itself. Odunze looked poised for a genuine breakout early, posting at least 15.2 fantasy points in each of his first four games, including a career-best 31.8 in Week 2. Then it vanished. He reached double digits just twice the rest of the way.
The usage was actually fine. Odunze commanded a 23.7% target share, and he would do well to simply repeat that number. Efficiency is where he fell apart. His 1.72 yards per route run ranked 38th, and he was targeted on only 23.4% of his routes run, which ranked 28th. Those are the marks of a receiver who was on the field plenty without consistently winning.
The setup should improve this season. DJ Moore is gone, which opens things up considerably. Targets in this offense should consolidate around Burden, Odunze, and Colston Loveland. We should also see Burden and Odunze together in every two-receiver set, meaning the snaps are locked in for both.
Here is where I diverge slightly from the room. The fantasy community is valuing Burden well ahead of Odunze, and I do have Burden ranked higher myself. I am just not nearly as convinced as everyone else that Burden is the obvious answer. It would not surprise me in the least if Odunze turns out to be the better click of the two. These players are probably too far apart in fantasy drafts.
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That said, I am in lockstep with the consensus on Odunze himself. He is my WR27 and the WR27 by ADP, which means I think the market has landed in the right spot.
Odunze is a perfectly fine pick at cost. If he is the best player on my board when my turn comes, I will take him without hesitation. He is neither a target nor a fade.
Katz’s WR Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
- Puka Nacua | LAR
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
- Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
- Drake London | ATL
- Justin Jefferson | MIN
- Nico Collins | HOU
- CeeDee Lamb | DAL
- A.J. Brown | NE
- Malik Nabers | NYG
- George Pickens | DAL
- Rashee Rice | KC
- Chris Olave | NO
- Zay Flowers | BAL
- Jaylen Waddle | DEN
- DeVonta Smith | PHI
- Ladd McConkey | LAC
- Tee Higgins | CIN
- Terry McLaurin | WAS
- Emeka Egbuka | TB
- Tetairoa McMillan | CAR
- Garrett Wilson | NYJ
- Luther Burden III | CHI
- Christian Watson | GB
- Jameson Williams | DET
- Parker Washington | JAX
- Rome Odunze | CHI
- Carnell Tate | TEN
- DJ Moore | BUF
- Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI
- Davante Adams | LAR
- Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX
- Quentin Johnston | LAC
- Mike Evans | SF
- Stefon Diggs | WAS
- Michael Wilson | ARI
- DK Metcalf | PIT
- Jakobi Meyers | JAX
- Josh Downs | IND
- Michael Pittman Jr. | PIT
- Jayden Reed | GB
- Courtland Sutton | DEN
- Wan’Dale Robinson | TEN
- Chris Godwin Jr. | TB
- Makai Lemon | PHI
- Jordan Addison | MIN
- Alec Pierce | IND
- Khalil Shakir | BUF
- De’Zhaun Stribling | SF
- Rashid Shaheed | SEA
