After returning from a core muscle surgery, it sure looked like Rashod Bateman was slowly working his way toward being a useful fantasy football asset. With two games under his belt and the bye week to rest up, Bateman was poised for a big second half. Unfortunately, he sustained a groin injury at practice and is now questionable for Week 9. Will Bateman play this week, and can fantasy managers trust him in lineups?
Rashod Bateman’s groin injury
We have very little information surrounding what happened to Bateman. He was not on the injury report Wednesday or Thursday, practicing fully. But, on Friday, the Ravens listed Bateman as DNP. That suggests Bateman sustained the injury at the very end of Thursday’s practice or at the beginning of Friday’s practice.
Mid-week downgrades are never good. Seldom does an otherwise healthy player sustain a mid-week injury and end up playing. With that being said, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said there’s nothing serious with Bateman and expects him to play Sunday. This was re-emphasized by both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport Sunday, who both reported Bateman is expected to play Sunday.
Will Bateman play this week?
The quote above suggests that Bateman is looking good. However, Hensley’s next Harbaugh quote paints a more ominous picture: “Nothing serious. He’s got a real good chance for Sunday. We’ll just see how he feels.”
It’s the last sentence that has me concerned. It leaves the door very much open to Bateman simply not feeling well enough to play. It’s worth noting Bateman missed the first month and change of the season with a similar injury. The Ravens also have Sammy Watkins likely returning this week, so they may play it safe with Bateman. I would consider Bateman a true game-time decision, with a slight lean towards him not playing.
Sunday update: According to Mike Garofalo, Bateman’s exclusion from Friday’s practice was purely maintenance following his return from a lengthy groin injury. He’s “good to go.”
Sunday update 2: Bateman is active.
If Bateman plays, what can fantasy managers expect?
Week 7 was the whole bye-pocalypse mixed with injury armageddon, where fantasy managers were scrambling to start anyone with a pulse. Week 9 is now giving Week 7 a run for its money.
We’ve already seen multiple players sustain mid-week injuries that have put their Week 9 statuses in jeopardy. Furthermore, there are also several players who played last week that may not play this week.
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In his first two games back from injury, Bateman saw 6 targets in each of them. He caught 4 passes for 29 yards in his first game back and went 3-80 in the second. Bateman played 65% and 63% of the snaps, respectively.
Fantasy managers need to pay close attention to what we hear Sunday morning and to the pre-game reports. With Watkins expected to play, it’s entirely possible Bateman is active, but the team limits his snaps to play it safe. The injury makes an already fringe fantasy starter an even dicier proposition.
Should fantasy managers start Bateman this week?
Prior to Bateman’s Friday DNP, I was more bullish on Bateman. I think he’s really talented and has a great chance to be Lamar Jackson’s safety blanket, gobbling up receptions and winning one-on-one battles.
However, following Bateman’s groin tweak, I think fantasy managers need to err on the side of caution and look to find an alternative. It may be difficult, but you didn’t draft Bateman as a starter because he was hurt. And if you picked him up recently, you shouldn’t absolutely need him. Only start Bateman if you really don’t have anyone else or if we get some very positive news regarding his injury status Sunday morning.
