Start Luther Burden III or Rome Odunze? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Luther Burden III over Rome Odunze in Week 1.

De-vigged player props project Luther Burden III at 8.0 points and Rome Odunze at 3.4, a gap of 4.6. Drafters take Luther Burden III at ADP 51 and Rome Odunze at 54. Market coverage on Luther Burden III is 70 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 8.0 fantasy points for Luther Burden III, with 70 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Player prop markets imply 3.4 fantasy points for Rome Odunze, with 30 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

That puts Luther Burden III 4.6 points ahead of Rome Odunze on the books.

Week 1 matchups

Luther Burden III and CHI visit CAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CAR allowed 41.2 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 200 yards and a touchdown against CAR.

Rome Odunze and CHI visit CAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CAR allowed 41.2 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 200 yards and a touchdown against CAR.

Injury status

Luther Burden III was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Rome Odunze was listed as questionable when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Luther Burden III played 15 games for CHI and scored 127.9 PPR points, 8.5 a game, finishing WR48.

He caught 47 of 60 targets for 652 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 318 air yards.

He was on the field for 39 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Luther Burden III, Week 18 of 2025 against DET: 1 carry for 10 yards, 4 targets and 3 catches for 35 yards, 7.5 PPR points.

Luther Burden III, Week 17 of 2025 against SF: 38 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 8 catches for 138 yards, 1 touchdown, 27.8 PPR points.

Luther Burden III, Week 15 of 2025 against CLE: 26 of 66 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 84 yards, 14.4 PPR points.

In 2025, Rome Odunze played 12 games for CHI and scored 146.1 PPR points, 12.2 a game, finishing WR41.

He caught 44 of 90 targets for 661 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 447 air yards.

He was on the field for 82 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

How Week 1 went

Luther Burden III scored 9.5 PPR points and Rome Odunze scored 7.2.

The call was right: Luther Burden III outscored Rome Odunze by 2.3.

Luther Burden III finished 1.5 points above the 8.0 the props implied.

Luther Burden III, Week 1 against CAR: 55 of 75 snaps, 1 carry for 2 yards, 5 targets and 5 catches for 63 yards, 9.5 PPR points.

Luther Burden III finished as the week's WR37 in PPR scoring.

Rome Odunze finished 3.8 points above the 3.4 the props implied.

Rome Odunze, Week 1 against CAR: 36 of 75 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 52 yards, 7.2 PPR points.

Rome Odunze finished as the week's WR54 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Luther Burden III over Alec Pierce.
• Start Luther Burden III over Christian Watson.
• Start Luther Burden III over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Christian Watson over Rome Odunze.
• Start Rome Odunze over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Rome Odunze over DJ Moore.