Heading into last season, Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze was easy to see as a big-time fantasy breakout candidate. Four weeks in, spurred by five total receiving touchdowns over that span, it looked like he'd pay off that buzz.
After that, though, as it was eventually revealed he had played several weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, Odunze's production was hit and miss--and far more miss than hit. He missed the final five games of the regular season with the injury before coming back for the playoffs.
By fantasy points per game in full PPR scoring (through Week 17), and it certainly seemed worse at times, Odunze was the WR29 last season.
How many games Odunze played with that stress fracture in his foot is unclear, but he began popping up on practice reports in October, and he did not miss a game until after Thanksgiving. He should get an injury-driven mulligan in 2026, but fantasy managers don't easily forget when a player has disappointed them.
Rome Odunze is a legit post-hype fantasy breakout candidate for 2026
Sports Illustrated fantasy football analyst Michael Fabiano rounded out his list of way-too-early wide receiver breakout candidates for 2026 with Odunze.
"My breakout prediction for Odunze last season looked great after four weeks, as he posted the third-most points among wideouts. The wheels fell off after that, as a foot injury limited his time on the field and kept him out of fantasy lineups. I’m still in on Odunze for next season, though, especially if the Bears move on from veteran DJ Moore. In that sort of scenario, I can easily see Odunze regain his rising fantasy value from early last season and make good on expectations."Â
As is the case with another Bears' wide receiver, DJ Moore, being traded is where the ground for Odunze's full fantasy breakout next season will be laid. But if he can just avoid any nagging injuries to limit his effectiveness, the former top-10 pick occupies a skill set space among Bears' pass catchers to an extent that no one is necessarily a huge threat to his role.
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The tradition of honing in on third-year wide receivers as prime fantasy breakout candidates has faded a lot in recent years. Odunze is on that old school track, though, and if he falls off the radar of a lot of fantasy managers come draft season, he could become a remarkable value pick.