Should I Start Rashod Bateman?

Thursday, June 11, 5:48 AM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has had a disappointing early career since being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While missing four games in 2025, he still saw the second-most playing time of all Ravens receivers, but he was unable to follow up on his career-high 756 receiving yards from the previous season, and he's yet to top the 46 receptions of his rookie campaign. His 2024 season also looks to be an outlier from a touchdown perspective, as his nine scores that year mark the only instance of him finding the end zone more than twice. With Baltimore welcoming in an entirely new coaching staff and spending third and fourth-round picks on receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, while subsequently saying goodbye to tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, the Ravens offense could look entirely different in 2026, and Bateman's role is far from secured. Under contract through his age-30 season, Bateman's prospects of a fantasy-relevant breakout are looking bleak, and the sixth-year veteran has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty WR112.