Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Jack Bech

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.

Friday, June 13, 1:15 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie second-round wide receiver Jack Bech has flashed during offseason workouts, but ESPN's Ryan McFadden points out that the majority of his reps have come with the second-team offense. "Dont'e and Jack did their stuff," head coach Pete Carroll said. "The idea is to force those guys to play early, and to do that, you have to ask them to do things they're good at." Dont'e Thornton Jr., the team's fourth-round selection, saw more action with the first-team offense. It's not a great sign for the 23-year-old Bech, but a lot can still happen in training camp this summer. Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers are the top two targets in this offense, but there is opportunity beyond that. However, in what should be a much more balanced offensive attack that features a lot of first-round running back Ashton Jeanty, this might be a developmental year for Bech.