Who Should I Start? Marquise Brown or Rashod Bateman

Friday, December 19, 5:12 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown missed Week 15 and was listed on this week's injury report with a personal issue, but practiced fully and does not have a designation for this week. Brown should step into a larger role with Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton ruled out with concussions this week. While Xavier Worthy should be the featured player in the wide receiver room, Brown may still be able to find success against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16. The Titans have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season, so Brown is set up with an advantageous matchup. The veteran receiver has had some good fantasy performances this season, but now he will have to do it with Gardner Minshew leading the offense. Brown is ranked WR54 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option in the fantasy playoffs.

Saturday, December 20, 9:15 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has not been a dependable fantasy option throughout the 2025 season, and that trend should continue as he returns from injury in Week 16 against the New England Patriots. Bateman is the overall WR93 in scoring this year, catching just 18 of his 35 targets through 11 games. He has finished with more than two catches in just one game this year, and two of his games have resulted in zero catches. Bateman remains stuck behind Zay Flowers in a wide receiver room that handles a below-average number of targets. This week, he'll face off against a Patriots secondary facing injury-related question marks. Superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez is healthy, but there's less certainty about Marcus Jones (knee) and Carlton Davis III (hip), who are both questionable. Regardless of their injury statuses, Bateman shouldn't be started in fantasy football this week. He ranks as RotoBaller's WR78 for Week 16.