Who Should I Start? Rome Odunze or Ladd McConkey

Thursday, June 27, 4:40 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is an exciting young asset for fantasy football, but since he will share the field with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen while catching passes from a rookie quarterback, his upside in Year 1 could be limited. According to Michael Smith of Pro Football Talk, he is a contender for the team's punt returner role. This could indicate that the team will bring him along slowly as a receiver during the regular season, but it's always a bonus to have additional special teams value. Barring an Allen or Moore injury, it would be a surprise if Odunze finishes as a top-24 wide receiver in his rookie campaign, though anything is possible for an elite collegiate prospect.

Monday, July 1, 4:45 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey was selected at the beginning of the second round in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has a chance to make a significant impact right away after the organization moved on from Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler this offseason. The veteran trio was responsible for most of L.A.'s receiving production over the last few seasons, so there are big holes to fill in Justin Herbert's offense. According to Herbert, McConkey has excelled right away. "He's just picked up the offense so easily. It's like he's been a four- or five-year vet," Herbert said. "He understands the game." The Georgia product didn't have impressive numbers in college, but he was sharing the field with standout tight end Brock Bowers in a run-heavy offense and dealt with several injuries. If he becomes Herbert's go-to target right away, he has at least weekly flex appeal and WR2 upside in 2024.