The Chicago Bears (4-3) will visit the Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) in Week 9. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, specifically regarding WR Rome Odunze.
Is Odunze Playing in Week 9?
Odunze is not on the injury report and, barring a surprise, he is expected to play.
We’ll continue to monitor the Bears’ injury report leading up to kickoff for any changes. You can also visit and bookmark our Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Odunze in Week 9?
I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but Week 8 was good for the soul if you roster Rome Odunze.
After totaling just 10.3 PPR points across two games post-bye, he was open for much of Sunday’s loss in Baltimore, and even a struggling Caleb Williams was able to find him.
The second-year standout doesn’t come off the field (93%+ of the snaps in three straight) and turned his 10 targets into seven grabs for 114 yards. The 14.1 aDOT this season speaks to Chicago loving what he brings to the table vertically, but don’t sleep on his slot usage always hovering around 30%: this feels like a piece on the chessboard that Ben Johnson is comfortable with.
Odunze caught passes of 7, 13, and 16 yards on the first drive last week, and I think we continue to see him scripted into the action moving forward. The Bengals have struggled across the board defensively for 13 months now, and while that can sometimes mean the ground game takes over, they have allowed a receiver to crack 15 PPR points in five of eight weeks.
Odunze is the clear-cut top threat in an offense that is going to be forced to be aggressive most weeks: he’s a WR1 for me both this week and for the remainder of the season.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Cheat Sheet.
Odunze’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 9
Odunze is projected to score 17.8 fantasy points in PPR formats.
We project Odunze to have 7 receptions for 89 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. Odunze could also add 2 rushing yards.
Check out the free PFSN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Week 9 Weather Impact: Bears at Bengals
The forecast for kickoff is 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 8 mph winds. These are ideal conditions for fantasy production.