The Chicago Bears head into the regular season finale with their playoff seeding still to be determined. Rome Odunze has now missed four consecutive games with a stress fracture in his foot, and his status for Week 18 remains uncertain. Will fantasy football managers have the talented sophomore receiver available for the final game of the regular season?
Rome Odunze Injury Update
Odunze has been dealing with a stress fracture in his foot since late October, when he first appeared on the injury report with what was initially classified as a heel injury. The wide receiver suited up for all of the Bears’ first 12 games before missing Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported at the time that Odunze has been playing with the stress fracture for a significant part of the season and would be considered week-to-week going forward.
Odunze surprisingly returned to practice after just one week off, getting in three limited sessions ahead of Week 15. He was activated for that game against the Cleveland Browns but did not play after aggravating the injury during pregame warmups. He was ruled out five minutes before kickoff, leaving many fantasy managers unwittingly starting a zero in their lineups.
The situation did not improve heading into Week 16 or Week 17. Odunze did not practice at all last week and did not play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. He has not been able to practice in any capacity since December 12 as he continues to manage the stress fracture. The injury has now kept him out for four consecutive games.
The Bears need a win in Week 18 to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Despite those stakes, it is probably not worth pushing Odunze to play through a stress fracture that has not fully healed. Stress fractures in the foot typically require several weeks to months for complete healing, depending on severity. The fact that Odunze still cannot practice suggests the injury remains problematic.
It is entirely possible that Odunze practices at some point this week but does not play in an effort to give him another full week to recover before the playoffs begin. Head coach Ben Johnson expressed optimism earlier this month about Odunze being “able to help us this year,” which suggests the team is targeting a playoff return rather than forcing him back for the regular season finale. Fantasy managers rostering Odunze should not expect him to play in Week 18.
Odunze’s Fantasy Outlook
Without Odunze on the field, Luther Burden III has emerged as the Bears’ clear WR1 option. The rookie wide receiver absolutely dominated in last week’s epic shootout against the 49ers, catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Both the receptions and yardage totals represented career highs for Burden, who produced four of the Bears’ seven longest plays from scrimmage with catches of 38, 27, 25, and 24 yards.
Burden has been incredible over the past three weeks, but e exited the Week 17 game with a quad injury on the final play and will undergo additional testing. He did speak to reporters after the game, though, and downplayed the injury. If Burden is available in Week 18, he profiles as a strong fantasy option regardless of Odunze’s status.
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Tight end Colston Loveland also had a huge game against the 49ers with six receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Both Burden and Loveland are in great spots this week, and a consolidated target tree without Odunze only enhances their fantasy appeal. DJ Moore remains the veteran presence in the passing attack, but is clearly a distant third option.
Fantasy managers should expect Odunze to return for the opening round of the NFC playoffs, assuming the Bears shut him down for Week 18. The smart move is to give the foot adequate time to heal rather than risk further aggravation in a regular season finale.
