Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Rashee Rice

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.

Wednesday, August 27, 12:19 PM

Updating a previous report, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is accepting and will serve a six-game suspension to start the 2025 regular season, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The league and the NFL Players Association are working to finalize the settlement, which will end the limbo surrounding Rice's off-the-field issues. He will be eligible to return for a Week 7 divisional clash against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 19. This is obviously a big hit to the 25-year-old's fantasy value this year, but managers already knew a four- to six-game suspension was coming, and Rice sitting out games to begin the year is actually better than him missing key games down the stretch into the fantasy playoffs. Despite the suspension, Rice is worth stashing in all fantasy formats, and he could even come at a nice discount. Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown will see more targets in the first six weeks.