Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Luther Burden III

Monday, July 28, 4:25 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (illness) was sent home on Monday due to an illness, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. There's no reason to think this will be a long-term absence for Bateman, but he could conceivably miss the next few days of practice as well. The 25-year-old is coming off the best season of his career in 2024 when he recorded 45 catches for 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. Baltimore added some talent to the wide receiver room with the offseason addition of DeAndre Hopkins, but Bateman still profiles as an important piece of the team's offense. The Ravens' low-volume passing offense limits Bateman's fantasy upside, but he has some boom/bust appeal as a flex option in deep leagues due to his ability to make plays down the field.

Sunday, August 17, 11:42 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III hauled in all three targets, gaining 49 yards in Sunday's 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills. The rookie wide receiver caught his three passes from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and took most of his snaps with the second-team offense. The second-round pick has performed well this preseason as both a receiver and a blocker, but has yet to garner significant playing time with the first-team offense. However, keeping Burden off the field might be difficult if he keeps stacking stellar performances like his one on Sunday. The next time we can see Burden in action is next Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.