Who Should I Start? Rome Odunze or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Saturday, October 18, 12:11 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is coming off a quiet Week 6, recording just two catches for 32 yards. However, his day could have been much bigger, as Odunze had an 11-yard touchdown negated by a penalty and narrowly missed on a few deep connections with Caleb Williams. Despite the down week, the second-year receiver is still in the midst of a breakout season, totaling 328 yards and five touchdowns in five games, ranking as the WR7 on a per-game basis. Odunze draws a favorable matchup in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. With the Saints' defense surrendering big performances to WR1s like Marvin Harrison Jr., Jauan Jennings, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba so far this season, Odunze is in a prime bounce-back spot. He should be viewed as a high-end WR2 this week, with significant big-play upside against a struggling Saints secondary.

Friday, October 17, 8:48 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had his worst performance of the season in Week 6 against the Bears, handling 17 carries for 61 yards with one reception for seven yards and losing a fumble for the second consecutive game. It's concerning to see him put the ball on the ground this frequently, but the coaching staff showed faith in him and went right back to him. On a positive note, the rookie seventh-rounder posted his highest snap share of the season at 66.7%. Croskey-Merritt should again handle the bulk of the touches in Week 7 against a Dallas defense that just allowed Rico Dowdle to rack up 239 total yards. They are allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs, which sets up Croskey-Merritt for a nice bounce-back game. He is a must-start in Week 7.