Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Rome Odunze

Monday, August 4, 12:51 PM

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs' presence is hard to miss at training camp practices and he "gets targeted a lot, and not just in the short area." Downs appears to be getting separation in practices this summer. Quarterback Daniel Jones wasn't very accurate deep down the field in his time with the New York Giants but if he's more comfortable in the short-to-intermediate areas, Fowler thinks Downs will be a primary target. The Colts' QB situation is far from settled, but Anthony Richardson Sr. is also improving in the middle of the field. The 23-year-old former third-rounder (79th overall) in 2023 out of North Carolina took the next step with a 72-803-5 line in 14 games (eight starts) a year ago. However, a lack of size and the unattractive Colts QB battle hurt Downs' overall fantasy upside as a WR4/flex.

Wednesday, August 13, 6:08 PM

Mark Carman of CHGO Sports reports that Chicago Bears second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze looks like quarterback Caleb Williams' go-to guy in practice on Wednesday, especially in the red zone. Carman adds that Odunze and Williams continued to work together after practice. There was a lot of disappointment in the Bears offense last year in Williams' and Odunze's first NFL season. Odunze finished with only 54 catches on 101 targets for 734 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (12 starts). It wasn't a bad showing, but he was inconsistent for fantasy purposes. The 23-year-old could be in line for a Year 2 breakout with Keenan Allen gone and in new head coach Ben Johnson's offense, with his goal being his first 1,000-yard season and double-digit TDs. That would be amazing for fantasy managers that draft him as a WR3/flex with upside in 2025.