Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Rome Odunze

Tuesday, August 5, 8:10 PM

Free-agent wide receiver Keenan Allen has agreed to a one-year, $8.52 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. Allen, 33, spent the first 11 years of his career with the Chargers after going in the third round of the 2013 draft. He became one of the most productive players in franchise history, hauling in 904 passes and 60 touchdowns while earning six Pro Bowl nods. Allen went to the Chicago Bears via trade before last season and posted respectable production with 70 grabs, 744 yards, and six scores, but he remained on the open market for several months. He's now reuniting with quarterback Justin Herbert and giving him another significant receiving weapon to join Ladd McConkey (undisclosed), who hasn't practiced as a result of an undisclosed injury. McConkey should be fine, but the Chargers still found themselves in need of help after the recent retirement of Mike Williams. Allen visited the Chargers last week, and head coach Jim Harbaugh publicly expressed a desire for the team to sign him. Harbaugh got his wish. Based on Allen's track record and his rapport with Herbert, he should continue to be an asset for fantasy managers.

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.