Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Rashod Bateman

Wednesday, May 28, 3:45 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is "moving great" at practice this offseason, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the organization this offseason after spending last year with the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. Hopkins, who has seven seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards on his resume, is not likely to be a consistent producer at this stage of his career, but he could still contribute as a third or fourth option in a passing attack. In 2024, he caught 15 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown in six games for Tennessee and hauled in 41 passes for 437 yards and four scores for Kansas City. With Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews on the roster, the veteran is likely competing with Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman for looks in 2025. He won't be a must-start fantasy option, but he could have streaming appeal in favorable matchups during his 13th NFL campaign.

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.