Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Rome Odunze

Thursday, February 12, 7:35 AM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. continued to deliver decent contributions in the passing game last season, which was his first with the team. He finished the year with 72 catches, 727 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns, his highest marks in those categories since 2021. He also rushed for 75 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. Although it was a good but not great year by Samuel's standards, he still finished as the overall WR25 in full-PPR leagues, cementing himself as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3/flex on a weekly basis. Samuel restructured his contract with the Commanders to become a free agent this offseason, so he'll hit the open market in March. A return to Washington seems possible, but he'll presumably explore all of his options before putting pen to paper. Samuel fits best on a team with an established No. 1 wide receiver, so that he can operate as the No. 2 receiver with contributions as a gadget-type player behind the line of scrimmage or in the short-to-medium passing game. His 2026 fantasy outlook will depend on his landing spot and his eventual quarterback pairing, but for now, we'd expect him to remain a top-30 fantasy receiver.

Sunday, February 22, 10:11 AM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze got off to a scorching start to the 2025 season, recording 20 catches for 296 yards and five touchdowns on 35 targets across his first four games of the year. However, the 23-year-old's production slowed down over the course of the season. Over his next eight games played, Odunze hauled in 24 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown on 55 targets. Odunze also suffered a foot injury that caused him to miss Chicago's final five games of the regular season. The 23-year-old was able to return for the playoffs, so he should be good to go for 2026 from a health perspective. However, Odunze has not yet shown the elite fantasy production upside some projected when Chicago selected him ninth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Odunze also has significant target competition around him with the Bears in the form of wide receivers DJ Moore and Luther Burden III, as well as tight end Colston Loveland. Odunze still has time to break out as a star, but his dynasty outlook took a slight hit in 2025.