Who Should I Start? Rondale Moore or Rashod Bateman

Tuesday, August 12, 4:19 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee) has suffered another season-ending knee injury, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. This one really hurts for Moore, who also missed the the entire 2024 campaign with the Atlanta Falcons due to a knee injury. The 25-year-old was selected in the second round (49th overall) in 2021 by the Arizona Cardinals out of Purdie. Moore spent the first three seasons of his career in the desert, catching 135 of 182 targets for 1,201 yards and only three touchdowns (one per year) in 39 games (23 starts) over those three seasons. It might be an uphill battle the rest of his career for him to get back to a prominent role on offense in the NFL. Moore wasn't really on the fantasy radar to begin with in 12-team leagues, but his injury is significant for a WR room that will also be without Jordan Addison (suspension) for the first four games.

Saturday, December 20, 9:15 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has not been a dependable fantasy option throughout the 2025 season, and that trend should continue as he returns from injury in Week 16 against the New England Patriots. Bateman is the overall WR93 in scoring this year, catching just 18 of his 35 targets through 11 games. He has finished with more than two catches in just one game this year, and two of his games have resulted in zero catches. Bateman remains stuck behind Zay Flowers in a wide receiver room that handles a below-average number of targets. This week, he'll face off against a Patriots secondary facing injury-related question marks. Superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez is healthy, but there's less certainty about Marcus Jones (knee) and Carlton Davis III (hip), who are both questionable. Regardless of their injury statuses, Bateman shouldn't be started in fantasy football this week. He ranks as RotoBaller's WR78 for Week 16.