Who Should I Start? Stefon Diggs or Rome Odunze

Wednesday, September 3, 7:31 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL suffered last year with the Houston Texans, is not listed on the team's initial injury report on Wednesday, confirming that he's on track to play in Week 1 on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Head coach Mike Vrabel also said on Tuesday that Diggs will "be out there" this weekend. It's great news for the Patriots offense and quarterback Drake Maye, who is heading into his first year as the full-time starter. Not only could the 31-year-old Diggs not be the same player coming off a torn ACL, but the Patriots' offense could have early-season growing pains with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels returning. The good news is he should operate as the WR1, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations and treat him as a WR3/flex in Week 1.

Tuesday, September 2, 1:17 AM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze could be deployed in different spots throughout the offense, wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El told ESPN's Courtney Cronin. The second-year receiver received praise for his versatility and athleticism, with Randle El noting that he thinks Odunze is "going to have a big year." Meanwhile, Cronin said that Odunze is blossoming into quarterback Caleb Williams' top target. While it's hard to imagine Odunze truly surpassing DJ Moore on the depth chart, it's very possible we see a 1A and 1B situation within the Bears' receiver room. Only two teams targeted their wide receivers at a higher rate than the Bears (72.1 percent) last season, and that percentage could continue to increase under the guidance of new head coach and offensive mastermind Ben Johnson. Fantasy managers should be very excited about Odunze, who has legitimate WR2 upside this season.