The ugly head of the injury bug has already reared its head. As we head into the season’s second week, plenty of notable players find their statuses uncertain. The Chicago Bears are at the heart of things with both Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze being listed as questionable leading up to their matchup with the Houston Texans.
Chicago is set to face off with the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football. Houston enters as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the Bears entering as +220 underdogs on the moneyline. The over/under sits at 45.5 points for the game.
Keenan Allen Status
The Chicago Bears made a splash this offseason signing Keenan Allen to a four-year contract worth roughly $80 million. The six-time Pro Bowl WR was unable to start his Chicago career off on the right foot as he tallied just four receptions for 29 yards in his debut. Allen dropped a potential touchdown pass during the game and was also overthrown by Caleb Williams on what would have been a significant pickup of yardage.
Even more concerning, Allen left the matchup with a heel injury. This was something that initially started in training camp and worsened in the opening game.
Officially, Allen is listed as questionable. However, he missed practice all week and seems set to be a true game-time decision. Head coach Matt Eberflus stated that Allen was progressing in his recovery of the initial injury before suffering the setback during the game. The organization elected to shut him down for the week to maximize recovery time. However, this also limits the amount of information as he likely will not attempt to run routes or gauge his status until Sunday.
With the Bears and Texans set to square off on Sunday Night Football, this puts fantasy owners in a difficult situation. On DraftKings $1.25 Million DFS Showdown for the Sunday night matchup, Allen continues to hold a price tag of $8,400.
Rome Odunze Status
The Bears also added to their dynamic passing attack by selecting Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft. The Washington product was also quiet in his NFL debut. Odunze caught just one of his four targets for 11 total yards. He left the game with just over four minutes remaining after injuring his knee while blocking on a play.
It seemed unlikely that Odunze would be available for most of the week. After going for an MRI early in the week, the Bears got positive news that the injury was only an MCL sprain. Pain tolerance will play a major role in his availability, but Odunze assured reporters this week that his knee is structurally sound.
It was encouraging that, unlike Allen, Odunze suited up for limited practice on Friday. He spoke with confidence regarding his outlook for getting on the football field, but the organization being overly cautious with the rookie and looking at the big picture also cannot be ruled out.
Odunze enters the DraftKings $1.25 Million DFS Showdown for the Sunday night matchup with a price tag of $6,400.
How to Manage Bears Wide Receivers
Both Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze will be legitimate game-time decisions that likely will not have their availability known until shortly before kickoff. Given that the Bears and Texans are set to face off on Sunday Night Football, this is a difficult spot to make a decision.
While Odunze being able to suit up for Friday’s practice is promising, Allen’s outlook seems a bit more bleak. In either case, it may be best to seek out other options. Caleb Williams showed some struggles in his debut, completing just 14 of his 29 passes for 93 yards and without a touchdown. The number one overall pick looked like a rookie and made some uncharacteristic misthrows at times. It is far from time to panic, but given the combination of injuries and the lack of successful quarterback play, it would be best to seek out other options for Week 2.
If the pair of wide receivers are unable to suit up, more pressure will be put on D.J. Moore ($9,000) as the number one receiver. Moore is in his second season with the franchise and after recording a career-high 1,364 receiving yards last year, he started 2024 with five receptions for 36 yards. Tight end Cole Kmet ($5,00) will be looked at to produce in the passing game. Wide receivers DeAndre Carter ($2,000), Velus Jones Jr. ($1,200), and Tyler Scott ($600) could also see expanded opportunities if Allen and/or Odunze miss.
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