Who Should I Start? Cordarrelle Patterson or Rashod Bateman

Monday, July 28, 2:17 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released running back Cordarrelle Patterson, according to a tweet from Patterson himself on Monday morning. The 34-year-old appeared to be fifth on the team's depth chart at running back behind Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, and Trey Sermon, so this news does not come as a huge surprise. Patterson appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh in 2024, rushing for 135 yards on 32 carries and catching 12 passes for 80 yards. He also served as a kick returner, which is where Patterson has arguably made the biggest impact throughout his career. It remains to be seen whether the 12-year vet will look to catch on with another team as a gadget piece on offense and contributor on special teams, or hang up his cleats. Either way, his days as a fantasy-relevant player are in the past.

Tuesday, November 25, 3:39 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It puts Bateman on track to play on Thursday against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving Day after he missed the last two games with an ankle sprain. The 25-year-old's return in Week 13 would make veteran DeAndre Hopkins less attractive as a flex play in deeper fantasy leagues in a great matchup against Cincy's soft pass defense. Bateman would be returning to an excellent matchup if he's active on Thursday, but he will still be hard to trust in a Ravens offense that has not been clicking. The Ravens have the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (176.6), and Bateman has not been trustworthy for fantasy managers with a 16-194-2 line in nine games. He's averaging a career-low 21.6 yards per game.