Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Emeka Egbuka

Thursday, June 5, 12:03 PM

The Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Rashod Bateman agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension on Thursday that includes $20 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. It's the second straight year that Bateman and the Ravens agreed to an extension after the team gave him a two-year, $12.87 million deal that ran through 2026 last April. Baltimore is rewarding the 25-year-old former 27th overall pick again a year later after his most productive season as a pro in 2024 after he caught 45 of his 72 targets for 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (14 starts) in his fourth year in the NFL. It was a nice showing, but Bateman's fantasy ceiling remains rather low with Zay Flowers serving as the WR1 in a run-first offense. The Ravens also now have veteran DeAndre Hopkins, which means Bateman will likely be a boom/bust fantasy commodity.

Thursday, June 26, 6:52 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is expected to have a big role in the offense in his first year in the NFL, especially with Chris Godwin recovering from ankle surgery, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine. Egbuka is already helping the Bucs stretch the field horizontally and has looked like a running back at times while showing up in the short passing game. However, the 22-year-old from Ohio State has also made big plays down the field during offseason practices. "The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "He's so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every [wide] receiver spot; he understands the offense that well. That's just him being a pro already." Egbuka is extremely attractive in dynasty/keeper leagues, but his redraft fantasy value in 2025 could depend on whether injuries in front of him open up more opportunities.