Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Tetairoa McMillan

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.

Tuesday, June 24, 2:20 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has looked like a player deserving of the No. 8 overall pick so far in his first NFL offseason, according to the team's ESPN reporter, David Newton. "Beyond being held out of two mandatory practices as a precaution after a collision the previous day, McMillan has been as advertised," Newton said. "He has made everyone around him better because he can play every receiver spot. He has created competition at receiver, something that wasn't there a year ago. His presence has benefited 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette, who believes he and McMillan double the problems for defenses." McMillan was excellent in his final two collegiate seasons at Arizona, catching 174 passes for 2,721 yards and 18 touchdowns in 25 games. He is expected to immediately become Bryce Young's WR1 in what could be one of the most improved offenses in the NFL under Year-2 head coach Dave Canales. The target completion in Carolina is not worrisome for T-Mac, so he has a clear path to paying off at his low-end WR3 pricetag in 2025.