Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Rashod Bateman

Thursday, May 29, 1:09 PM

Houston Texas wide receiver Christian Kirk (collarbone) was seen participating in organized team activities on Wednesday, according to KPRC's Aaron Wilson. Kirk only ended up playing in eight games (seven starts) in his third and final season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 due to a broken collarbone. The 28-year-old was traded to the Texans in March to help account for the loss of Stefon Diggs in free agency and Tank Dell (knee), who isn't expected to play at all in 2025. However, Houston also added rookie wideouts Jayden Higgins (second round) and Jaylin Noel (third round), and Nico Collins is the clear top target for quarterback C.J. Stroud. Kirk should be fully ready for the start of the 2025 season, and he could dominate slot reps. Kirk has a path to a rebound season with the Texans, but it won't be a slam dunk with the two rookies potentially eating into his targets.

Thursday, June 5, 12:03 PM

The Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Rashod Bateman agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension on Thursday that includes $20 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. It's the second straight year that Bateman and the Ravens agreed to an extension after the team gave him a two-year, $12.87 million deal that ran through 2026 last April. Baltimore is rewarding the 25-year-old former 27th overall pick again a year later after his most productive season as a pro in 2024 after he caught 45 of his 72 targets for 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (14 starts) in his fourth year in the NFL. It was a nice showing, but Bateman's fantasy ceiling remains rather low with Zay Flowers serving as the WR1 in a run-first offense. The Ravens also now have veteran DeAndre Hopkins, which means Bateman will likely be a boom/bust fantasy commodity.