With D.J. Moore gone, Caleb Williams’ top target is primed for massive volume. Expect improved efficiency and double-digit touchdowns as the star receiver anchors Chicago's revamped offense.
If you drafted any of the Chicago Bears receivers in fantasy football last year, it may have been frustrating at times.
When the year started, it was D.J. Moore, Luther Burden, and Rome Odunze. Moore got targets, but it wasn't much compared to that of Odunze. He had a couple of breakout games later in the year.
Moore also didn't score many touchdowns, though there was that stretch from Weeks 15-16 when he had three in two games.
Odunze had a really good stretch to start the year, scoring at least one touchdown in the first four games of the season. He went quiet for the next two games before catching seven passes for 114 receiving yards in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Odunze's last touchdown of the regular season came in Week 10 against the New York Giants. He then suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the Week 13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles and missed the remainder of the regular season.
Burden had that breakout game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, but didn't get going again until after Odunze's injury. He showed a lot of promise from Weeks 14-17, but then finished with under 40 yards in the final week of the season.
After what happened last season, you may be hesitant to draft a Bears receiver again in 2026. Sports Illustrated's Thomas Carelli explained why selecting Odunze is a must.
Odunze got plenty of targets last season, but the problem was with how many of them he caught. However, the receiver only dropped five passes all of last year.
"The glaring weakness in the Williams-Odunze connection was that of efficiency," Carelli said. "While Odunze had 99 targets, he caught less than 48% of those passes. That cannot even be Odunze's fault, as he accounted for just 5 total dropped balls. Ben Johnson is the best offensive mind in the NFL. It can be debated, but if not the best, he is top-3. It would be rash not to expect Odunze to play much more efficient football in 2026. He can easily catch in excess of 70 footballs for 1,300+ yards and double-digit touchdowns."
On top of that, the receiver room is a little less crowded for Odunze this year. The Bears traded Moore to the Buffalo Bills for a second-round pick, meaning that Odunze's target share could increase.
The Bears' receiver room now features Odunze, Burden, Kalif Raymond, Zavion Thomas, Omari Kelly, Jahdae Walker, Kaden Davis, Scotty Miller, J.P. Richardson and Maurice Alexander.
One thing that jumps out is that there isn't much quality veteran experience beyond Odunze and Burden. Now that Odunze is one of the older receivers the Bears have, he'll be expected to be much more dependable.
Without Moore, it may look like the Bears' receiving corps took a hit. However, this means a much better fantasy outlook for Odunze.
