Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or Rashod Bateman

Saturday, August 9, 1:07 PM

New York Giants wide receivers Malik Nabers (shoulder) and Darius Slayton (undisclosed) were not involved in pre-game warmups on Saturday and are not expected to suit up for the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. It's a big chance for Jalin Hyatt to impress the coaches. Neither Nabers' or Slayton's injuries are serious, but the Giants will play it safe early in the preseason and hold them both out. In addition to a shoulder injury, the 22-year-old Nabers has also battled a toe injury since college, but it didn't slow him down at all in his rookie season in 2024, as he had a 109-1,204-7 line on 170 targets. Nabers' nagging injuries are worth watching closely, but as of now, there's no reason not to target him as a strong WR1 in fantasy drafts in 2025.

Monday, July 28, 4:25 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (illness) was sent home on Monday due to an illness, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. There's no reason to think this will be a long-term absence for Bateman, but he could conceivably miss the next few days of practice as well. The 25-year-old is coming off the best season of his career in 2024 when he recorded 45 catches for 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. Baltimore added some talent to the wide receiver room with the offseason addition of DeAndre Hopkins, but Bateman still profiles as an important piece of the team's offense. The Ravens' low-volume passing offense limits Bateman's fantasy upside, but he has some boom/bust appeal as a flex option in deep leagues due to his ability to make plays down the field.