Fantasy Upside
Rome Odunze is coming into the professional ranks on a high note, racking up 1,500+ yards receiving and 13 touchdowns on a 24.5% target share. He did so with crisp route-running and jump-ball ability, winning in all areas of the field with Washington. If he forms an early connection with fellow rookie Caleb Williams, there's really no telling what his ceiling might be. With Williams' ability to create out-of-the-pocket, Odunze could flex his speed on broken and elongated plays for huge gains.
Fantasy Downside
The target competition looks almost insurmountable if everyone stays healthy. Odunze is locked in on 3-WR sets, but if OC Shane Waldron continues to use a high rate of multiple TE sets in Chicago, Odunze is likely to be the odd man out. Keenan Allen is one of the best intermediate target earners in the NFL, while D.J. Moore showed out as a deep threat last year with a more lackluster offense. Odunze's week-to-week consistency could be a hard pill to swallow in typical redraft leagues.
2024 Bottom Line
Rome Odunze is too talented to keep out of fantasy box scores through the whole season but there are likely to be some duds mixed throughout. In run-heavy gamescripts, for example, the rookie could be all but phased out through swaths of game time. With that said, the low-floor/high-ceiling aspect of Odunze in Year 1 makes him an intriguing pick, with a lot of upside if something were to happen to Allen or Moore.
