Week 7 Dynasty Debates: Buy Low on Rome Odunze?
Throughout the season, Jonathan Fuller and Sam Wallace will be breaking down the latest trends across the dynasty landscape to help you stay a step ahead of your league mates—both rebuilders and those in win-now mode.
Rome Odunze, WR - Bears
Jonathan
The Bears' offense is finally clicking after a slow start in their first few games. It hasn't yielded big fantasy performances for their rookie WR yet, but his outlook is still very bright. Caleb Williams has improved every week and is flashing his franchise QB potential, and we can't forget that Odunze had a really strong prospect profile.
We also did get a glimpse of what the future could look like when Keenan Allen sat out in Week 3 and Odunze saw 11 targets, which he turned into 112 yards and a score. His usage hasn't been good enough in other weeks to keep him on the fantasy radar for redraft leagues, but it shows that he can produce on an NFL field and has real contingent value should one of the guys ahead of him miss time.
For those worried about the fact that he hasn't immediately stepped in and out-produced Keenan Allen, it's worth pointing out that Odunze is being used in a very different role than the top two receivers. Odunze is getting targeted much farther down the field, which is naturally going to lead to fewer catchable targets and more of a boom-or-bust profile.
Sam and I are in agreement here that Odunze is a screaming buy in dynasty leagues. He hasn't gotten the same level of hype that Nabers and Harrison have, and he probably won't have a huge rookie season if DJ Moore and Keenan Allen stay healthy.
I doubt the Odunze manager is worried about him, but when the offseason rolls around and fantasy managers are falling in love with all the 2025 prospects, I will be sending trade offers to acquire Odunze. We'll have to see how the rest of the season plays out, but I wouldn't be surprised if he can be had for a mid-first round rookie pick next year, and I think that will be a great trade to make.
Sam
There was a trio of WRs at the top of the 2024 class—Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze.
Odunze was the third one drafted, and he also came in at No. 3 in our Rookie WR Model. He was also the only one of these three who would be playing with a rookie QB in Year 1.
While we've seen some growing pains from the Chicago offense through the early portions of this season, Caleb Williams is starting to heat up. After not reaching 10 fantasy points in either of his first two outings, Williams has topped 24 points in three of his last four games and 30+ points in his last two.
However, despite the prolific production from Williams, Odunze has been disappointing. He has just one game with more than 40 receiving yards, and that was the same game he scored his lone TD. He has single-digit PPR in five of six games.
This makes Odunze a screaming buy in dynasty formats.
Yes, Keenan Allen scored a pair of TDs in Week 6, but he's 32 years old and is already struggling to stay healthy. While DJ Moore has been the only consistent fantasy wideout in Chicago, Odunze will not be far behind. I would happily send an early future first-round pick for Odunze in 1QB formats and a mid-first-round pick in SF formats.
Terry McLaurin, WR - Commanders
Jonathan
It's nice to see Terry McLaurin get to play with a true franchise QB after dealing with a rotating cast of below-average passers for his entire career. He's looked like a true WR1 with a 27% target share and 52% air yards share, which ranks third among all WRs.
The piece that makes McLaurin difficult to value in dynasty leagues is his age. He's in his age 29 season, so he should still have a few good seasons left but is entering the tail end of his prime years. That makes McLaurin a great trade target for contending dynasty teams and a valuable asset to cash in on for rebuilding teams. The tricky part is just finding fair value to make the trade happen.
I would absolutely be willing to send a late first round rookie pick for him, but I don't want to pay much more than that. My expectation is 2-3 seasons of solid WR2 production, but there is some downside if Washington makes a splash at the WR position heading into next season.
Sam
Jayden Daniels is him.
There's no getting around it. The talented No. 2 overall pick has ripped off five straight games with at least 225 passing yards and has topped 24 fantasy points in five of six games this year.
It's not just his rushing that's propelling him to fantasy greatness—it's also his passing.
One of the biggest beneficiaries has been Terry McLaurin. The veteran wideout has dealt with horrid QB play throughout his career but now has arguably his best QB ever after just six games. Despite a quiet opening two weeks, McLaurin (over his last four games) has averaged:
- 7.8 targets
- 5.3 receptions
- 79 receiving yards
- 1 TD
- 18.7 PPR
Fantasy managers finally have reason to be excited about their talented fantasy asset.
The buy window for McLaurin is likely closed, which makes him a strong hold. If Daniels goes through a rough patch this season, which shouldn't be out of the question for a rookie QB, you might be able to land McLaurin, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Otherwise, for everyone who held F1, good on you for staying patient. If you want to spend up for him, you certainly can, but be ready to pay a premium for the No. 1 target in a suddenly potent Commanders offense.
Did you know Washington has topped 20 points in every single game this year? It's so much fun for the league to have a good, exciting Commanders team.
DeMario Douglas, WR - Patriots
Jonathan
Who could have ever predicted the Patriots' offense would finally have some juice when they decided to play the third overall pick at QB? Kidding aside, things are looking up for New England, and Maye's ability to actually throw the ball downfield should lead to more sustained drives and scoring opportunities for the offense.
DeMario Douglas should have decent fantasy value for this season if he can maintain his team-leading 20% target share. Long-term, I am less convinced that Douglas can be anything significant for fantasy. He's been the de-facto top WR since last season and has just a 1.6 YPRR and has scored one TD so far in his career. Douglas does not appear to be anything special, he would be a good third option in the passing game for a team with real weapons, but his fantasy value is being boosted by the lack of target competition.
After this year, the Patriots are almost certainly going to prioritize bringing in a real number one WR via free agency or the draft (possibly both). They also have a number of other young WRs who could emerge as the season progresses, which could negatively impact Pop's target share.
Ultimately, I think there is a good chance this is Douglas's best fantasy season, so I don't want to buy the top on his value. I would be happy to flip him for a second round pick now and would strongly consider two thirds during the offseason.
Sam
"The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming." - The Dark Knight
Do…do the Patriots suddenly have hope? While you certainly won't find many people feeling bad for New England fans after their long-standing dynasty, you couldn't help but feel like they weren't giving themselves their best chance to win by starting Jacoby Brissett.
Then, in Week 6, rookie Drake Maye got his first start.
The counting numbers were solid, but Maye absolutely passed the eye-test with several nice throws while demonstrating excellent mobility in the pocket. The biggest beneficiary was second-year wideout DeMario Douglas.
Even before Maye took over, Douglas was quietly picking up steam. He now has at least nine targets, six receptions, and 59 receiving yards in three of his last four games, and his utilization is looking promising as well.
The Patriots also added Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker this offseason via the draft, so there's a chance that Maye grows into this offense and its young pieces moving forward, but for now, Douglas is the pass-catcher you want.
I'd be willing to spend an early second-round rookie pick to land Douglas. This offense will remain capped by its youth and lack of overall playmakers, but the WR1 for any offense still has value. Douglas was productive before Maye and should have no issue increasing his role with his new QB.
