Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has had a bumpy start to his NFL career. Injuries have played a big role through his first two seasons in the NFL. This Ravens offense is expected to open things up this year as they moved on from Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator and hired Todd Monken who helped lead Georgia to two National Championships. This should be an exciting season for the Ravens’ passing offense. Hereās a look at Batemanās value in their Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans.
Fantasy Football analysis: Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
Bateman played in just seven games in 2022. He suffered a foot injury that required surgery forcing him to miss the rest of the season after Week 8. Through his seven games played, Bateman had 15 receptions for 285 yards and two touchdowns. It is tough to judge Bateman off that because Romanās offense ran the ball much more than most offenses in the NFL. Bateman will thrive this season if he can stay healthy.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
Bateman should start in PPR leagues.
In smaller leagues with 8- or- 10 teamers, he is more of a flex option. But he has a ton of value there. Yes, the Ravens added a number of receiving options in the offseason and have their best wide receiver room in a while. However, Lamar Jackson has been outspoken that Bateman is his WR1 and he will get him the ball. If this passing offense is what everybody expects, wide receivers will thrive in Baltimore. In 12-14 team leagues, he is a solid WR2 option.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Bateman should start in standard leagues as well.
In the smaller leagues, it makes sense to sit him as running backs have more value in those flex spots. But heās still at least a WR2 in the bigger 12-14-team leagues. I expect him to find himself in the end zone at least once this week regardless of what he does yardage-wise. Jackson and this offense will air it out 35-40 times per game in my opinion, so the opportunities will be there.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Rashod Bateman
Bateman is ranked 96th for FLEX options on FantasyPros. There are a few players around him that I would favor over Bateman. Kadarius Toney and David Njoku are two guys Iād lean over Bateman. Toney is in a strong Kansas City Chiefs offense and appears to be healthy. Njoku seems to be Watsonās favorite option and has started the season strong the past few years.
