Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Rhamondre Stevenson

Thursday, December 19, 1:25 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) did not practice on Thursday due to a foot injury and was wearing a walking boot in the locker room. Bateman popped up on the Week 16 injury report on Wednesday and was listed as limited in practice. Mid-week additions to the injury report are usually bad news, and that's especially the case for Bateman after he was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday. The Ravens receiving corps could be thinned out on Saturday in a tough matchup against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers if both Bateman and Nelson Agholor (concussion) cannot play. Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker could be thrust into bigger roles alongside Zay Flowers and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in the passing game. The 25-year-old Bateman is in the midst of a career year in 2024, but fantasy managers could be without him in semifinal matchups this week.

Friday, December 20, 10:56 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson could have an opportunity to demonstrate his pass-catching upside during Sunday's Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills. New England faces Buffalo two times over the next three weeks, and this Sunday's contest could set the tone for Stevenson to win back some of the opportunities that he has ceded to Antonio Gibson lately. While Buffalo has been solid against the run, they're porous against pass-catching running backs. In fact, the Bills have allowed the most catches, most receiving yards, and second-most receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs in 2024. That bodes well for Stevenson, who has multiple catches in nine of his 13 games this season. He has caught an impressive 32 of 39 passes thrown his way this year, which is a higher total than Gibson, his backfield-mate. Touchdown opportunities have been limited for Stevenson this year, which means his fantasy managers need him to catch passes to produce points. There's no better matchup than the Bills for this to happen. As a result, he ranks as a high-end RB3 in most leagues as the fantasy playoffs carry on.