Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Matthew Golden

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 27, 12:18 PM

ESPN's Rob Demovsky writes that Green Bay Packers rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden appears set for a significant role on offense with the likes of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks with Christian Watson (knee) still rehabbing from ACL surgery. Golden might not be an immediate starter, but he got plenty of run with the starters during offseason workouts and caught quarterback Jordan Love's eye quickly. "I think from the get-go, from Day 1 when he got here, he's showcased kind of just the versatility he has running routes, the speed he has and his ability to catch," Love said. The 21-year-old is a burner who caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns at Texas in 2024. It remains to be seen if he'll see enough targets to be in contention for a weekly fantasy lineup spot, but his overall upside as a potential deep threat with Watson sidelined is enough to make him an attractive late-round flier in redraft leagues.