The Baltimore Ravens will face the Houston Texans in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Rashod Bateman.
Is Rashod Bateman Playing in Week 17?
Bateman is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any unexpected setbacks, he is on track to play on Christmas.
We’ll continue to monitor the Ravens’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Rashod Bateman in Week 17?
Bateman has eight touchdowns in 15 games this season, not bad for a player who had four in 35 games through his first 35. Has anything really changed, or is he just running hot?
His catch rate (61.9%) is in line with his career norm (61.4%), while his on-field target share is actually at a career low. The low volume is, naturally, the result of his routes extending further downfield (15.8-yard aDOT), and while I spent time earlier walking you through what I like about Lamar Jackson’s growth, this is too thin of a profile to bet on this time of year in this spot.
The Texans are the fourth-best yards-per-play defense in the league, a ranking that has been buoyed by them being the best defense against deep passes. Through 16 weeks, they’ve coughed up just 8.3 yards per deep pass, a mark more than three yards below the league average and removing any level of stability for a player who relies on those splash plays to pay off.
Every summer, we get hype videos and optimistic quotes about Bateman. He’s returned enough value this season because of the touchdown rate, but I’m still not sold on him as a viable weekly option. That goes for the final two weeks of this season and, barring significant changes, into next season.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Rashod Bateman’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
As of Thursday, Bateman is projected to score 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.6 receptions for 53 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Rashod Bateman’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.Â
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
