Bears WR Rome Odunze dubbed breakout fantasy candidate in 2025
Odunze didn't have a big year like New York's Malik Nabers or Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr., but he had a respectable season with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns as the third wideout behind veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.
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Now, with Allen out of Chicago, Odunze is stepping into a bigger role with new head coach Ben Johnson calling the shots on offense, and the sky's the limit for the former ninth overall pick. In fact, Pro Football Focus' Jonathon Macri believes Odunze is a candidate for breakout player in fantasy football in 2025 and should have fantasy owners on the lookout.
Odunze's fit in this new offense is crucial to his fantasy success, as he'll likely start the year opposite DJ Moore as the team's WR2. Depending on how well he learns the new playbook and is able to translate that knowledge into success on the field, that role can even grow to eventually overtake Moore as the WR1, playing a similar role in this offense as Amon-Ra St. Brown did for the Detroit Lions these past few seasons under Johnson.
St. Brown's role in Johnson's offense has required a little more than half of the player's routes to come from the slot, and while Moore is typically closer to the average slot receiver's size, Odunze shouldn't be ruled out of that spot. In 2024, Odunze ran a higher rate of routes from the slot than Moore and was even more effective in that role.
Macri mentioned Odunze's fit in Johnson's offense as the biggest factor to his fantasy success, even noting that the second-year wideout has the potential to usurp veteran Moore as Chicago's WR1 and serve a similar role as Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit.
Johnson has talked at length about the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and there are several candidates to have significant impacts in that role, including Moore, rookie Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus and even Odunze.
Heading into Year 2, Odunze is poised for a breakout season as he continues to develop his rapport with Williams and gets to work with one of the league's brightest offensive minds in Johnson, as well as wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle-El.
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After allowing the second-most passing yards in the league in 2024 – and most among playoff clubs – the Ravens signed Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander and selected highly regarded S Malaki Starks in the first round of the draft. Teaming them with Pro Bowl DBs Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey should make this a far more formidable secondary – and maybe the one that gets last season's AFC North champs back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years. 43. Only one team has two players who rushed for at least 1,000 yards in 2024 on its roster. That would be the Carolina Panthers, who signed Rico Dowdle from Dallas in free agency and will pair him with incumbent RB1 Chuba Hubbard. 44. It's worth wondering if new New York Giants QB1 Russell Wilson starts more games in 2025 for the G-Men … or another team. 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So – again – just 50 days until the first ball that counts is kicked off at Lincoln Financial Field … and 207 until Super Bowl 60 commences in Santa Clara, California. Let's enjoy the ride! All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
