If the Chicago Bears are going to get the best out of quarterback Caleb Williams, contributions from skill position players other than the most prominent names will be required sometimes.
The signing of wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency did not garner a lot of attention, but since he arrived he has impressed to the point touted rookie Luther Burden has been rendered a non-factor. And perhaps most importantly, he has built an instant connection with Williams.
In the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Zaccheaus had four catches for 42 yards on seven targets. Beyond that, Pro Football Focus graded him as the Bears' best wide receiver for the week (and a top-15 overall graded wide receiver in the league through Week 1).
While his path to getting consistent volume in the Bears' offense is naturally clogged, there's room for Zaccheaus to be on the field more after he played 30 offensive snaps (a 45 percent snap share) against the Vikings.
Olamide Zaccheaus tabbed as a fantasy sleeper for Week 2
In a post-waivers look at last-minute fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 2, with a noted focus on deeper leagues, ESPN's Matt Bowen led his wide receivers to consider with Zaccheaus.
"Zaccheaus caught four passes for 42 yards (8.2 points) in the Week 1 Monday night loss to the Vikings, and his seven targets were the second most on the team. There is a clear on-the-field connection between Zaccheaus and quarterback Caleb Williams, and coach Ben Johnson can scheme for the wide receiver on screens and underneath throws that lead to numbers after the catch. Look for Johnson to move Zaccheaus around the formation this week, giving him free access off the ball, against a Lions defense that will play man-coverage."
According to PFF, Zaccheaus cleanly split his snaps in Week 1 between lining up outside (20) and in the slot (10), with a fairly equal split on each side of the offensive formation. Looking deeper, all four of his catches came on short area routes (0-9 yards) with 22 of his 42 yards coming after the catch.
Read more: One of the Bears biggest offseason acquisitions is being set up to fail
As expected, Zaccheaus is rostered in just 0.5 percent of ESPN leagues and 1 percent of Yahoo! leagues as of this writing. Managers in deep leagues who add him this week would be hoping for a touchdown if the move is going to fully pay off, but a line similar to Week 1 wouldn't be the worst thing.