Fantasy football: Where to draft Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze

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Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze was taken in collaboration with No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams to revive the franchise. Chicago needed playmakers, and it did just that, taking the Washington Huskies star receiver with the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Odunze was an All-American at Washington and is primed to be a star in the NFL. Below, we look at Rome Odunze’s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Entering 2024, Odunze’s best value will be in dynasty or keeper leagues, but he is expected to have a major role in the Bears offense. If he can find his footing early, Odunze could be a top-30 receiver as soon as this season. The rookie is intriguing in terms of fantasy value.

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Rome Odunze’s ADP: 85.30

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Odunze’s 85.30 ADP in redraft leagues puts him in the range of the 8th to 11th round depending on the size of the league. His ADP ranks 5th on the Bears. WR DJ Moore is 1st at 36.73, RB D’Andre Swift (61.87) is 2nd, WR Keenan Allen (67.28) is 3rd and rookie Williams (80.45) is 4th.

Among all wideouts, Odunze’s ADP ranks him 41st at the position, behind Carolina’s Diontae Johnson (85.00), the Green Bay duo of Christian Watson (83.97) and Jayden Reed (83.95) and Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy (78.07). The Chargers’ Ladd McConkey (93.52) is 42nd, while Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. (94.18) and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba (97.21) are 43rd and 44th, respectively.

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Rome Odunze’s 2023 Washington stats

Games: 15

Receptions: 92

Receiving yards: 1,640

Receiving touchdowns: 13

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Where should you draft Odunze?

Odunze’s fantasy value is relatively unpredictable. The Bears have multiple top options, including Allen. Also, whether Williams will be successful as a rookie is still yet to be seen.

Odunze is a skilled playmaker and found a knack for consistently getting open at Washington. He was the go-to option for arguably the most potent collegiate offense, and he should be successful at the NFL level.

As WR3 — behind Moore and Allen — Odunze doesn’t have much fantasy value this season. If the Bears can stay on the field, Odunze should see between 80-100 targets and potentially get about 60 catches for 700 yards. That feels like what a successful season could look like for him.

While capable of producing right away, Odunze’s fantasy value is going to come in keeper and dynasty leagues, where he has much more appeal in his long-term potential. In those leagues, feel free to grab Odunze in the 7th or 8th round, but in standard PPR formats, feel free to let him drop on the unknown regarding both the Bears offense and his involvement in it.

Given his lofty upside even as a rookie, don’t let Odunze go undrafted; feel free to snag him in the 9th round in all leagues.

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