Who Should I Start? JuJu Smith-Schuster or Rashod Bateman

Sunday, June 23, 1:30 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) said his injured knee is much healthier than last year, but to the untrained eye, The Athletic's Chad Graff writes that it didn't appear as if Smith-Schuster had the same explosiveness that he did in 2021 or 2022. If he's going to make the 53-man roster out of training camp and the preseason this year, he's going to need to outplay both Kayshon Boutte and Tyquan Thornton this summer while hoping that Jalen Reagor loses the competition for the top kick-returner job. Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne (knee), K.J. Osborn and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker appear to be roster locks at the position. The 27-year-old Smith-Schuster had just 260 receiving yards in 11 games in 2023 for New England and is well off the fantasy radar entering the 2024 campaign, even if he does somehow make the final roster.

Monday, July 22, 9:00 PM

According to Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, wide receiver Rashod Bateman is expected to be a "top receiver" in the NFL. "Rashod's been working to make plays," said Harbaugh, addressing the media following Monday's practice. "To see him come out and make those catches, those are great catches. Traffic catches, one catch he plucked off the ground there. I was excited, everybody was fired up about it." Bateman, who received a contract extension this offseason, hasn't met expectations since entering the league, amassing only 93 receptions for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns. He's also been limited to 35 games due to injury. With that said, the 24-year-old likely hasn't reached his ceiling from a potential standpoint. However, the Ravens offense is loaded with capable producers, so it could be tough for anyone not named Lamar Jackson to remain consistently involved for fantasy managers.