Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Rome Odunze

Thursday, December 25, 3:41 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen has become a moderately more intriguing fantasy option for the final few weeks of the campaign following the suspension of teammate DK Metcalf. Thielen joined Pittsburgh ahead of the team's 27-22 win over their division-rival Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. Despite logging roughly 50% of snaps over the two ensuing contests (48/58), the veteran could only come away with one catch on one target in each appearance. However, Thielen saw his workload elevate in last Sunday's victory against Detroit (4/49) and is poised to see a decent target share with Metcalf set to sit for the next two games. Moreover, if fellow WR Calvin Austin III (hamstring) is unavailable for Week 17, then Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Scotty Miller would operate in three-wide-receiver sets, significantly raising the floor of the trio. It's a situation worth monitoring as the Steelers gear up for a road clash with the Browns this Sunday.

Thursday, December 25, 9:54 AM

According to Jason Lieser of The Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) is "increasingly unlikely to play" on Sunday night when the Bears travel to Santa Clara to face the 49ers. Lieser noted that there is a chance Oduzne may also be held out of action in Week 18. Odunze has been on the shelf for the last three games due to this foot injury, and appears to be on track to miss another week of action. However, head coach Ben Johnson has noted that the second-year wideout has not been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Sunday's game, but should look to find another viable option for another week, given his current trajectory. With Odunze set to miss another contest, managers should expect DJ Moore to continue to operate as the WR1, with rookie tight end Colston Loveland taking on an increased role.