Rashod Bateman

The Baltimore Ravens will be without half of their epic tight end duo with Isaiah Likely looking like he will sit out Week 1. The beneficiary is 3-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews.

Likely had surgery on his foot this offseason and is still recovering. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise as all reports leading up to this have indicated the timeline for Likely’s return to be in the early part of the season, leaving Week 1 murky. 

Things will open up for wide receiver Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Lamar Jackson will certainly thrive in a game against the Buffalo Bills that has a Vegas total of 50.5. Rashod Bateman becomes a nice DFS play as well. Ironically, this sets up as a good redemption game for Mark Andrews who is ready to turn the page after a back breaking drop late in a playoff matchup last season with the aforementioned Bills.

Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)

The Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Rashod Bateman have agreed on a new deal worth up to $36.75 million, with $20 million guaranteed at signing. When Bateman’s current deal expires, this contract will take effect from 2027 to 2029. Based on the annual average salary, this currently slots Bateman in as the 28th highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, though that will change by the time the new contract begins. The value is comparable to that of Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, and Khalil Shakir’s contracts.

The former Minnesota Golden Gopher has dealt with multiple injuries since entering the league, particularly in 2021 and 2022, including missing the first five games of his rookie season. Since recovering, he’s showcased his big-play ability and seemed to break out last season. Bateman averaged 16.8 yards per reception in 2024, the third-highest in the league among qualifying receivers. He also tacked on nine receiving touchdowns.

On a run-heavy Baltimore Ravens offense headlined by quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, Bateman is more of a role player. He hasn’t amassed 72 targets or 46 receptions in a single season, and that’s unlikely to change. It appears he will be stuck behind Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, while competing with Isaiah Likely for opportunities again this season. Still, Bateman provides value as a deep threat and endzone target for Jackson, the Ravens’ two-time NFL MVP.

Author: Trey Kroll (@TreyK_FB on Twitter/X)

Adam Schefter reports that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has ruled out Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers for Saturday’s playoff matchup versus the Steelers. Flowers’ absence will leave the Ravens without one of their top weapons. 

While this isn’t welcome news, there was an element of this being a slow drip towards Zay Flowers being declared out. Earlier in the week there were rumblings that it was a long shot for Flowers to play in the opening round.

Naturally, the Ravens offense will run primarily through Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Mark Andrews. In a playoff game with a familiar division foe in the Pittsburgh Steelers, expect one of Rashod Bateman or Isaiah Likely to have an elevated role. Rashod Bateman provided 2.44 fantasy points per target in 2024 which was good for 4th overall paired with a 125.0 QB rating per target (No. 6). At tight end, Likely was 8th in total touchdowns with 6 and his 13 red zone targets ranked No.10. Expect the Ravens to soar to new heights with Bateman and Likely.

Jeremiah Retzlaff, coachretzlaff1

“Rashod’s been working to make plays — To see him come out and make those catches, those are great catches,” Harbaugh said. “Traffic catches, one catch he plucked off the ground there. I was excited, everybody was fired up about it. That’s what we expect from Rashod Bateman. He’s expected to be a top receiver in the league for us. That’s what we’re planning on.” Bateman recently signed a two-year extension for $12 million this off-season. Ravens look to have a solid starting wide receiver corps with Bateman and Zay Flowers complementing each other in the passing game.

Everyone has heard of the Bateman hype year in and year out. Injuries have been a problem, as well as grasping the offense to be the dominance force the Ravens hoped he would be. Bateman was drafted in 2021 in the first round and was compared to players like Stefon Diggs but also players like Michael Gallup. 2024 could be the year Bateman truly shows the talent and upside his first grade warranted, with the offense adding Derrick Henry and second Zay Flowers developing, Bateman comes in as the sleeper on this team. In deeper leagues he should be drafted and has late round value in 12 or 10 team leagues.

After hearing John Harbaugh talking about how Bateman looks great and continues to shine in off-season activities. Even his teammates are talking up the hype for Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews said “He looks incredible. He looks as put together as he’s ever been. It’s going to be a big year for Rashod Bateman. I’m calling it now.”

Bateman has had his challenges with injuries holding him back from living up to his first-round potential. All off-season he has been highly talked about and with dynasty football in full force and redraft season coming before you know, Bateman can have a nice sleeper role coming into the season. He will continue to be the third option behind Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers in this upcoming season.