Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Rashod Bateman

Tuesday, March 31, 6:02 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans went through a massive change of scenery this offseason. After 12 years in Tampa Bay, the veteran pass-catcher inked a new contract with the 49ers, pairing him with talented quarterback Brock Purdy. While it's not necessarily a major quarterback upgrade or downgrade for Evans, the change of scenery could be valuable for his NFL career and fantasy outlook. His role was slipping a little in Tampa Bay as Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. took on larger roles. In San Francisco, Evans will be the clear No. 1 receiver, with Ricky Pearsall not serving as too much of a threat. Staying healthy will be the biggest key for Evans, who missed nine games last year and finally saw his streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons come to an end. We would not be surprised to see Evans finish 2026 as a mid-to-high WR2, and he even has WR1 upside. Even at 32 years old, he's an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues where his current manager is bothered by last year's injury issues.