Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Rashod Bateman

Friday, July 25, 3:38 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (undisclosed) was back in action on Friday after missing the team's Thursday practice with an undisclosed ailment, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said previously that Hopkins was held out as a precaution, and that appears to be the truth. The 33-year-old Hopkins is likely someone who Baltimore will be judicious with in terms of practice workload anyway, so a single-day absence early in camp shouldn't be considered highly worrisome. Hopkins recorded 56 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games split between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. He's more of a supporting piece at this point in his career, but he'll be in the mix with Rashod Bateman as a secondary target option at receiver for Baltimore behind Zay Flowers. The Ravens also have talented tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, so Hopkins could be looking at an even further reduced workload from what he saw last season.

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.