Who Should I Start? Chris Olave or Rome Odunze

Wednesday, January 7, 1:15 PM

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the team will discuss a contract extension for wide receiver Chris Olave this offseason, according to Erin Summers of NFL Network. "Chris is obviously an important player to us and had a really good season... had a couple of conversations with his agent, that will be part of this offseason," Loomis said. Olave didn't play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons due to a blood clot in his lung, but the 25-year-old former first-rounder should be ready to roll for the start of next season as the Saints' clear WR1. Despite missing the last game of the year, Olave was money for fantasy managers in 2025, finishing as the WR6 in half-PPR scoring with 100 catches (156 targets) for 1,163 yards, and nine touchdowns in 16 games. It was a career year for Olave, and he'll be an early-round WR1 target in 2026 fantasy drafts, especially with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showing plenty of promise in his first season.

Saturday, January 10, 12:50 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze missed the final five games of the regular season due to a stress fracture in his foot. However, the 23-year-old is off the injury report and will play in his team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Across 12 games before getting injured, Odunze recorded 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns on 90 targets. He recorded three or fewer catches in four out of his last five games played, although he still averaged 6.8 targets per game during that stretch. It's difficult to project how involved Odunze will be in the Chicago passing game coming off the long layoff, particularly with Bears rookie wideout Luther Burden III emerging during Odunze's absence. The Packers also had one of the NFL's better pass defenses during the regular season, ranking sixth among all units in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.4). Given the injury uncertainty and the matchup, Odunze profiles as a difficult player for fantasy managers to trust in the Wild Card round.