After his most productive week of the season, Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze was back on the injury report this week.
However, it wasn’t with the same knee injury that had him questionable heading into Week 2.
Will Rome Odunze Play in Week 4 vs. the Los Angeles Rams?
Following practice on Thursday, Odunze found his way back onto the injury report. This time, the injury designation is his hip.
In Week 3, it appeared as if Odunze’s injury bug had been kicked to the curb. Odunze turned 11 targets into six receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown, leading the Bears in receiving against Indianapolis.
This week, as Chicago prepares to take on the Rams at Soldier Field, Odunze’s hip had him as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. He did not receive an injury designation after participating fully in Friday’s practice.
With the Bears at six total players who didn’t participate at all on Thursday, Odunze’s limited participation should give a more optimistic idea of his status for Sunday’s matchup.
Should You Start Rome Odunze in Fantasy Lineups?
Unless the severity of this injury increases, Odunze should be a relatively easy start this week for fantasy managers.
Not only is he coming off his best game as a rookie, but he’s going against a Rams secondary that has allowed the following stats to opposing quarterbacks through three games:
- 72.2% completion percentage (28th-best)
- 746 passing yards (29th)
- 9.8 yards per attempt (32nd)
- Seven passing touchdowns (30th)
- 127.3 passer rating (31st)
So, as long as he progresses through this week, Odunze should have himself a strong performance in Week 4 for his fantasy managers.
Who Are the Other Fantasy Options To Consider on the Bears?
While he’s been out the past two games, veteran receiver Keenan Allen could be a Bears receiver that fantasy managers this week. He might not be available, given he’s a starter in the league, but if some impatient managers let him go after two weeks without playing, he could be a viable option.
That said, Allen’s production could take a week or so to return, given that he’s been out of practice and games for two weeks. Allen is a veteran, so it might not take as long for him to get back to his All-Pro level, but it could take him longer to get to 100%.
Allen was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, so his likelihood of playing appears to be higher than it was the last two weeks.
Another option aside from Odunze is backup receiver DeAndre Carter. As a rotational piece with the Bears nursing a mirage of injured receivers, Carter has seen the field for 120 offensive snaps this season. For comparison, Odunze has 198 offensive snaps this season.
However, while he’s getting chances on offense to be an impactful piece, he hasn’t been targeted too much, making him a bit of a boom-or-bust type of player.
Last week, Carter saw the most targets this season, as Caleb Williams threw to him six times against the Colts. Carter came down with three receptions for just 22 yards, making his fantasy performance a bit lackluster.
Another risky option is to run with the hot hand in tight end Cole Kmet at the Flex position.
Kmet had a monster game last week, totaling 10 receptions (11 targets) for 97 yards and a touchdown. Even though it’s a bit of a risk, Kmet’s Week 4 performance could be even better if the Bears are without Odunze.
