Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Rome Odunze

Friday, September 5, 6:11 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren will begin his first campaign as the team's featured ballcarrier in a road bout with the New York Jets. Warren thrived in a complementary role through his first three seasons, averaging 4.8 yards per tote while adding 127 receptions. Although he is expected to lead Pittsburgh's backfield ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson, Warren will be tested by a solid New York defense. The Jets shut down running backs in the passing game and held the position to the fifth-fewest yards per carry in 2024. This is expected to be a low-scoring affair, so while Warren doesn't offer extreme upside, he can be started as a volume-based RB2 or flex option in Week 1.

Saturday, September 6, 3:37 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze begins his sophomore season on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. The 2024 ninth-overall pick had a quiet rookie year, averaging 6.9 half-PPR fantasy points per game and finishing as the WR49, while playing behind two veteran receivers. Now in 2025, Odunze has a prime opportunity to step forward in new head coach Ben Johnson's offense. With Keenan Allen gone, the Bears vacate over eight targets per game, opening the door for Odunze and others to take on a much larger role. The matchup is ideal, as Minnesota's defense allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2024. Still, Odunze's production will hinge on how quickly Caleb Williams can take a step forward in year two. Given the favorable matchup, Odunze is a high-risk, high-reward WR3 in Week 1.