Who Should I Start? Rome Odunze or Jack Bech

Thursday, May 22, 3:32 PM

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is "extremely impressed" with wide receiver Rome Odunze this offseason. The Washington product had a decent rookie season considering the immense target competition from Keenan Allen and DJ Moore in 2024, especially while catching passes from a rookie quarterback. However, he was not a consistent fantasy football producer. With Johnson in Chicago and Allen out of the way, Odunze could be headed toward a Year-2 leap. "To be a second-year guy, you would expect a little bit more inconsistency," Johnson said. "And yet, the way he approaches the meeting room, the walk-throughs, the on-field, the drill work, it's very much like a seasoned pro, some of the best that I've been around." This is encouraging for Odunze's fantasy prospects, but the team added former Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and former Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in the first two rounds of last month's draft, so target competition will remain a factor. The jury is also still out on Caleb Williams, and Odunze has a wide range of outcomes in 2025. His low-end WR3 cost in fantasy football drafts makes him an intriguing dart throw in redraft and best ball leagues.

Tuesday, April 29, 4:56 PM

Las Vegas Raiders second-round rookie wide receiver Jack Bech is a strong candidate to be an immediate starter in his first NFL season, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore. The TCU product was taken with the 58th overall pick on Day 2 and should line up next to Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker in starting three-wide sets. Rookie fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton Jr. out of Tennessee could also push Tucker for playing time as a deep threat in 2025. Like Meyers and Tucker, Bech can play inside and outside and will likely be used in different spots on the field. The 23-year-old will probably be behind tight Brock Bowers and Meyers in terms of targets in his rookie year, but he'll be working with an established veteran quarterback in Geno Smith and could be worth a late-round dart throw in deep redraft leagues. Bech will be a solid target in rookie-only drafts once the top names at receiver come off the board.