Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze didn’t turn many heads in his NFL debut, but after fans learned the No. 9 pick needed an MRI on his knee following Sunday’s game, the worry shifted from his performance to his health.
Odunze left the game with just over four minutes remaining, as it appeared he tweaked his knee following a routine blocking play. After the results of the MRI came back, the Bears appeared to have been lucky as their rookie receiver was diagnosed with an MCL sprain.
Will Rome Odunze Play in Week 2 vs. the Houston Texans?
Unlike Keenan Allen — who missed all of practice due to a heel injury — Odunze suited up for a limited practice on Friday, giving him a more likely prognosis for Sunday night’s matchup against the Texans.
Odunze met with reporters after Friday’s practice, giving updates on his knee heading into the weekend.
Rome Odunze addresses his knee injury and status for Sunday’s game against the Texans: pic.twitter.com/3j0oy6c9RK
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) September 13, 2024
When asked if Odunze could play a full football game, the rookie receiver was honest yet enthusiastic with his response.
“I don’t know,” said Odunze. “Today was kind of my first initial test to really see, and I think tomorrow will be a good measure of recovery on how my knee feels in that moment. But, I want to be on that field any way possible, so I’m going to try and make that happen.”
Odunze also mentioned the importance of being cautious when dealing with a knee injury since it was the first time he’d dealt with one like this.
All-in-all, the first-year receiver seemed optimistic moving forward about his current health and the long-term health of his knee. Whether that means Odunze will start this week is still up for discussion.
Should You Start Rome Odunze in Fantasy Lineups?
Eberflus told us Friday that Odunze was likely to be a game-time decision. “We’re going to take it all the way up to the game to see if [Allen and Odunze] can go,” the head coach told the media. That was then echoed by Adam Schefter early on Sunday morning in his report.
There is little argument that putting Odunze in your fantasy lineup would be a tremendous risk. The rookie WR managed 41 snaps in Week 1 and ran 28 routes. However, he was only targeted four times, pulling in one reception for 11 yards.
He was clearly third on the team in targets, behind Moore and Allen, but ahead of anyone else by two targets. If we knew Odunze was going to be able to play at 100% and Allen was out, then Odunze would be a solid starting option. Unfortunately, we do not know with any certainty what is going to happen with the two receivers.
The problem here is that if you start Odunze and then he is ruled out, your options will be limited. With the Bears playing on Sunday Night Football, there are not many fantasy assets likely to be available who are playing in that game or Monday Night Football.
Maybe there is someone like Tyler Allgeier or Darnell Mooney you could turn to on waivers. If not, you are reaching into the pot of players like Jahan Dotson, Dameon Pierce, or one of those dart throws. Most likely you have a better option on your bench ahead of the rest of Sunday’s slate that you would rather start.
Who are the Other Fantasy Options to Consider on Bears?
If both Allen and Odunze miss this matchup, the next wide receiver must be ready to go.
Caleb Williams was open about the fact that Chicago could be without two of the top three receivers this week, but that didn’t shake his confidence. Williams was confident in both Tyler Scott and DeAndre Carter if they needed to step in this week, giving those two players a boost in fantasy stock if one or both receivers miss Sunday Night Football.
For the fantasy managers who like taking gambles, tight end Cole Kmet could be another potential option for the Flex. Starting two tight ends isn’t always the advice most fantasy managers listen to, but there’s reason to believe this could be a strong game for Kmet.
If Chicago is down 66% of their starting receivers, someone must catch passes. While Williams gave a vote of confidence about the next-up receivers, throwing to the starting tight end seems a bit more effective.
Coach Eberflus also mentioned that the Bears want to utilize Kmet as a focal point of the offense, which could bring about a strong Week 2 performance from an unlikely source.