From Week 1 to Week 4, Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze was well on his way to paying off his preseason hype as the WR3 in fantasy.
Then came the Bears' Week 5 bye. In the four games since then, he has posted single-digit fantasy points three times, culminating in zero catches on three targets against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. He has had some near-miss catches in recent weeks as he has struggled in some contested catch situations. Things would also look a bit different if a touchdown wasn't wiped out by a penalty in Week 6, and if he could've corralled a would-be touchdown in Week 9 off a tipped ball.
Odunze has also not been operating at full strength lately, landing on the injury report with a heel injury he has admitted to dealing with for a while. At this point, the injury doesn't seem likely to cost him any games, but his workload will be carefully managed during the practice week.
ESPN fantasy analyst points the arrow back up for Rome Odunze
As part of ESPN's midseason report for the Bears, fantasy analyst Eric Moody had this nugget about Odunze.
"WR Rome Odunze's zero fantasy points in Week 9 against the Bengals (when he recorded fewer than five targets for the first time in eight games) left a bad taste in managers' mouths. Still, don't overlook his production before the bye week, even though he's posted only one double-digit fantasy outing in his past four. From Weeks 1 through 4, Odunze averaged 19.9 fantasy points. He's a player managers should consider trading for, as he should get back on track with the Bears having the seventh-easiest remaining schedule for fantasy wide receivers."
Week 10 looks like a prime get-right spot for Odunze. The New York Giants enter the week allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. The Giants have also allowed the second-most receptions and the third-most yards to outside wide receivers, where Odunze has lined up nearly 65 percent of the time this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Read more: Ben Johnson sends a clear message about Colston Loveland after Week 9 breakout
Some of Odunze's fantasy managers may be ready to cut bait after his zero in Week 9, so there is a buy-low opportunity that other managers can pursue. But those who stick it out are in line to reap solid rewards, as his weekly production settles in somewhere between his first four games and his last four games from here on out, with the schedule pointing toward the higher end of that range more often than not.