Week 1 gives us two unique one-game slates to kick off the season. In those games, we see Rashod Bateman and the Baltimore Ravens play Thursday, while Jahan Dotson of the Philadelphia Eagles will play Friday.
These two players will land in Flex play scenarios for you, and identifying the correct option will help you elevate your lineup to beat your opponent in Week 1.
The question is, do we chase Bateman’s fantasy outlook, which includes him returning from an injury, or do we chase Dotson’s, which sees him in a new system and team he just joined last month?
Both players present high risks and high rewards. We will help you identify the better/safer reward to move forward with your lineup.
Let’s break down both Bateman’s and Dotson’s fantasy outlook for Week 1.
Rashod Bateman Fantasy Outlook This Week
Bateman is a former first-round pick for a high-powered offense. On the surface, this should be a lock, except Bateman struggles with the injury bug and has not had the level of production that makes us feel comfortable starting him weekly.
Due to injuries last year, we only saw Bateman run 333 routes, which has ranked 79th overall on Trumedia. He only caught 33 receptions on those routes for 367 yards and one touchdown.
Those stats are nothing to write home about, but can we find any treasure within the weeds of Bateman’s stat line?
The answer is yes.
Bateman allows the Ravens to pop the top on opposing defenses and create big plays. Last year, he was the fourth-best wide receiver for air yards per reception with 14.48.
If reports are correct and Bateman is finally healthy, he adds a weapon to Lamar Jackson’s arsenal that the Ravens were sorely missing in the AFC Conference Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs last year. We should not expect another one reception for 2 yards stat line from Bateman if healthy.
Bateman will occupy the WR2 role for the Ravens in this game behind Zay Flowers. Bateman will likely land as the third option in the passing game behind Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews, leaving us to hope for a big play to break open the fantasy treasure within Bateman’s fantasy outlook.
The Chiefs love to use Cover 1 against Jackson to minimize his mobility. If they implement this coverage with Bateman on the field, the Ravens will look to have him take the top off the defense and beat the Chiefs deep.
Jahan Dotson Fantasy Outlook This Week
Dotson is hard to get excited for this year, at least to start the season.
His stats from last year do not matter because he changed teams. Now, he sits behind multiple options in the offense.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense should stream through A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, and even the Tush Push.
This combination of talent makes it hard to find a slot for Jahan Dotson to produce for fantasy in Week 1.
Dotson may help elevate Jalen Hurts’ fantasy outlook, but his own is in danger of a complete fade in Week 1.
Who Should I Start in Week 1?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say Bateman is the better start for Week 1.
Bateman is projected to have 6.8 fantasy points with 33 receiving yards and two receptions. Those numbers are putrid but better than Jahan Dotson’s 5.3 fantasy points.
My rankings agree with the optimizer, as we have a better chance of Bateman receiving a more significant target share than Dotson in Week 1.