Olamide

Zaccheaus

Zaccheus came down with just the one catch, but it was a big one; a touchdown over the middle that got the Bears to within three points. The wideout is well behind the other targets in the Chicago passing attack, and likely won’t be a big factor against the Eagles or Rams next week.

Zaccheaus was sidelined by the illness in Week 17. Fortunately, he is now on track to play. Whether Zaccheaus warrants long-shot FLEX consideration depends largely on his teammates’ health and availability. Bears WR Luther Burden (quad) was limited today, while WR Rome Odunze (foot) remains sidelined.

Moore was one of many Chicago players to come down with the flu that has been ripping through the league this week but he ultimately felt well enough to suit up for Sunday Night Football. The same can’t be said for wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who is inactive. Also inactive for the Bears are QB Case Keenum, WR Rome Odunze, CB Dallis Flowers, OL Luke Newman, DB Nick McCloud, and LB Ruben Hyppolite II.

The same is true of Olamide Zaccheaus, who is also dealing with an illness. It certainly seems like something is going around the Bears’ locker room. Players tend to play through illnesses, and the Bears are taking on the 49ers in a game that has massive implications for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. We expect both players to play, but fantasy managers will want to have a backup plan in place. Luther Burden would be in line for a sizable uptick in targets if one or both of Moore and Zaccheaus are ruled out.

Burden injured his ankle in Week 15 and was completely unable to practice this week. He and WR Rome Odunze (foot) have both been ruled out, while RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and TE Cole Kmet (ankle/knee) are listed as questionable to play. Bears TE Colston Loveland and WRs DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus stand to benefit.

Odunze was listed with heel and ankle injuries in October and November. On December 5th, he was reportedly considered week-to-week with a stress fracture in his foot. The Bears held him out of their Week 14 game on December 7th, but allowed him to resume practicing in Week 15. He then aggravated the stress fracture during pre-game warmups. It’s an extremely unfortunate series of events. The Bears will also be without WR Luther Burden (ankle) against the Packers on Saturday, reducing target competition for TE Colston Loveland and WRs DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus. Bears RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and TE Cole Kmet (ankle/knee) are questionable to play.

Rome Odunze also remained out of practice on Wednesday. Odunze was always likely to miss Week 16 after being a late scratch on Sunday. Burden, on the other hand, could’ve had a more optimistic outlook if he returned to practice today. Instead, he is now likely to join Odunze on the bench this week. D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus will serve as the team’s top wideouts this week. Moore will sit on the WR2/3 border while Zaccheaus is set for a WR4 ranking.

Zaccheaus has already seen his role in the offense scaled back with the emergence of Luther Burden, but with Rome Odunze out he’s back as the third receiver. Unfortunately, Zaccheaus didn’t endear himself to coaches or fantasy managers with his Tony Snell-esque performance against the Browns. He’ll be a total dart throw even if Odunze is out against the Packers in Week 16.

Zaccheaus upgraded to full on Friday after logging two limited sessions. He has earned three targets in consecutive weeks and does not need to be in re-draft lineups, though he did manage to score a touchdown last week. He is just a touchdown-dependent WR5.

Back-to-back practices is good news for Odunze even if both of them have been limited sessions. He’s likely to at least find the questionable line ahead of Sunday’s game against the Browns. Olamide Zaccheaus (hamstring) was also limited for a second straight day. If both can return, it will likely lower Luther Burden’s WR4/FLEX stock in Week 15.