Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Is Rome Odunze Worth Using Amid Injury Return?

The Bears get back Rome Odunze for Wild Card Weekend. We measure if his upside is worth using in DFS and Playoff Fantasy Football.

Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) takes the field prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

It has been a long-time coming, but Rome Odunze has been taken off of the injury report and he will play tomorrow night against the Packers. As you look to now attack DFS and Playoff Fantasy Football, it is important that we analyze this matter. Just because Odunze is going to be active does not assure that he will have a full workload. We will help you out by sorting the details and projecting the true output for Odunze this week.

Fantasy Football Impact

#Bears WR Rome Odunze (foot) is off the injury report and will play on Saturday vs. the Packers.

He has not played since Black Friday in late November. pic.twitter.com/ailRpdcxX8

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 8, 2026

With Odunze having been out a numbers of games, a lot has happened, and possibly to his disadvantage. Most of all, Luther Burden III has surged to success as the makeshift WR1 on the team. In that, he has had great success. Odunze will cut into Burden's workload, but he will not eliminate it.

As to DJ Moore, he has not been affected a ton by Odunze being out. Therefore, he will not be affected a ton by his return. Moore should have his usual 3-6 Targets.

The main impact is Burden. I do not find anyone else to see themselves affected drastically. It is a 1v1 matter.

Projecting Rome Odunze's Workload

Rome Odunze was LEADING THE NFL in TDs before his injury. Instead of going to the IR, he played through it... https://t.co/GsZMRjpNkd

— Swift Sports Network (@SwiftyNetwork) January 8, 2026

This foot injury has not been a good one. What had been said to have Odunze out a couple weeks thus ended being a full month. However, it seems to be near full-health. Any concerns we may have would be a bit more heavily weighted on his lack of recent playing time.

We are going to expect Odunze to play to about 90% of normal efficiency. Of course, he will have some re-injury risk, but nothing that would stop me from using him if deemed a good play.

This offense will be very difficult to telegraph given the recent target share changes, parlayed with Odunze's return. The best we can do is provide a very vague estimate. This is what we come up with as ranges of outcomes:

• Rome Odunze: 10-25% (Very Volatile)
• Luther Burden III 12-20%
• DJ Moore 15-20%
• Jahdae Walker 5-10%
• Olamide Zaccheaus 5-10%

As we can see, volatile is very high with this offense. This should bode well for the smoke-screening of this Bears offense. Nonetheless, we chase upside in a strategic manner...

How to Decide to Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

We must chase touchdown upside. As for Odunze, he is priced <$6,000 in DFS platforms. If he has at least a 15% Touchdown chance, I would not hate trying him.

Odunze had been averaging (1.0) Red Zone Targets per Game when active. If he dips, it would dip to pace for (0.5) tonight. Nonetheless, I find Odunze to have no-less than a 40% chance to see at least (1) Red Zone Target, even in a reduced workload.

Moore has at least (1) Red Zone Target in five of his last seven games. In 17 Games this year, he has at least (1) Red Zone Target in 11 Games. He will have a similar probability to Odunze with about (0.5) Red Zone Targets.

Burden is a very-lowly probable Red Zone Target. He has only (1) Red Zone Target since Week 4. He is a volume play, and his volume will reduce, although with its extent being unknown.

DFS Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

Start: Rome Odunze, DJ Moore

Sit: Luther Burden III, Jahdae Walker, Olamide Zaccheaus