Rashod Bateman Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (Can He Excel as the Ravens' WR1?)

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman showed flashes of promise as a rookie in 2021, capping off the year as the WR80 in PPR fantasy leagues. Now that Marquise Brown was traded to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, managers are looking forward to big things from Bateman this fall.

The good news is that Bateman is more than talented enough to take things to the next level. With natural skill on his side, as well as a great quarterback in Lamar Jackson under center, it could be a bright year from the Ravens' No. 7.

Rashod Bateman Fantasy Football Outlook

Injuries held Bateman to only 12 games played as a rookie, but he made the most of his opportunities. He caught 67.6% of the passes thrown his way, catching 46 balls for 515 receiving yards while finding the end zone once.

Now that Brown's 146 targets from last year are up for grabs, Bateman must step up. Tight end Mark Andrews will likely see an uptick in work, yet the sophomore wideout will be counted on to take a major step forward considering that Baltimore's WR room is quite bare.

ESPN's Mike Clay listed the Ravens as having the 13th-easiest schedule back in May. In other words, there's no excuse for Bateman not to find a way to improve over last year's totals as long as he stays healthy.

Rashod Bateman Injury Update

Bateman missed the first five games of his NFL career due to a pesky groin injury. Although it didn't bother him too much throughout the campaign, it's understandable if managers are wondering if it could play a role in the upcoming fantasy year.

The good news is that Bateman's groin hasn't been an issue during training camp thus far. At the same time, he was held out of Friday's practice for undisclosed reasons. There haven't been any details released just yet, leaving time to tell if it's groin-related are something new altogether.

Rashod Bateman Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook are quite low on Bateman. He sits tied for 44th-best odds (+10000) to lead the league in receiving yards, while also being available at +7500 (T-No. 38) to be the 2022 NFL receiving TDs leader.

FanDuel lists Bateman's projected receiving yards total at 825.5 with -112 odds on both the over and under. He averaged 11.2 yards per reception as a rookie, meaning he'd need to make about 74 catches to hit the over at that same pace — 28 more receptions than he had in 2021.

Is Rashod Bateman a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

Bateman is a solid fantasy pick that some managers might be sleeping on. Is the Ravens' passing offense the best? No, but he's the No. 1 WR in the room and Jackson has a terrific arm to connect with him. If the duo can foster chemistry early on, it could be a bigger year for the sophomore wideout than expected.

For now, Bateman comes in as the WR39 on The Duel's PPR player rankings. He also carries an average draft position of 93.3, according to Fantasy Pros, meaning it's likely that he won't be on the board beyond Round 8 in 12-team leagues.

If you've drafted Bateman, then check out the best Baltimore Ravens fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.