Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Devaughn Vele
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 28.8 | 0.2 |
Rashod Bateman News
Wednesday, September 2, 1:37 PM
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said on Wednesday that he does not know when the NFL will finalize its investigation into wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who was arrested on family-violence charges in June, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. Bateman's fantasy football value was already down going into the 2026 season, and a potential suspension to begin the year makes him undraftable in 12-team single-year leagues. The 26-year-old is the WR2 on Baltimore's depth chart behind Zay Flowers, but even without a potential suspension, the possibility of impressive rookie Ja'Kobi Lane passing him on the depth chart sooner rather than later seems high. The former 27th overall pick in 2021 from Minnesota broke out for 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, both career highs, but he regressed to a 19-224-2 line in 13 games in 2025 with quarterback Lamar Jackson dealing with injuries mostly all year. Outside of what looks like his 2024 outlier, Bateman has not had more than 46 catches, 515 yards, or two touchdowns in his other four NFL seasons.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 24.8 | 0.2 |
Devaughn Vele News
Friday, August 28, 9:00 PM
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele is quickly climbing up the depth chart ahead of the 2026 season. With Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) expected to miss significant time, Vele projects to be the Saints' No. 2 receiver for the regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13. Not only does the depth chart itself look favorably upon the 28-year-old receiver, but so does the coaching staff. Before Tyson got hurt, head coach Kellen Moore said that he regretted not making Vele a bigger part of the offense throughout the first half of last season. He made the most of his opportunities following the Saints' bye week, though, catching 19 of 26 targets for 239 yards and one touchdown across four games before getting hurt. During that four-game span from Week 12-15, Vele ranked as the overall WR23 in PPR leagues. Assuming he takes on a similar role and can maintain a similar rapport with quarterback Tyler Shough, Vele has high-end WR3/flex appeal early in the 2026 season, especially while Tyson is inactive. With an ADP of 231.2, the 6-foot-5 receiver is going undrafted in most fantasy leagues. Managers should consider spending their final draft pick on him, because he could be a legitimate fantasy starter for the first month or so this season.
Rashod Bateman vs. Devaughn Vele
Still trying to decide between Bateman and Vele? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Rashod Bateman is projected to score 6.2 points this week while Devaughn Vele is projected to score 5.5 points.
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