Has Rashod Bateman Lost His Fantasy Football Relevance for 2026?

After an encouraging 2024 breakout, Rashod Bateman enters 2026 with declining fantasy value, increased competition for targets, and growing concerns about his long-term role in Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Rashod Bateman finally flashed the upside fantasy managers had been waiting for in 2024, but his momentum came to a halt after another disappointing and injury-marred campaign last season. With Baltimore adding more competition at wide receiver and Bateman entering a contract year, his 2026 fantasy football outlook suddenly feels far more fragile than optimistic.

Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens

Bateman's Baltimore Ravens tenure has been a prolonged exercise in waiting for the talent to match the opportunity, and in 2024, it finally started to happen.

His rookie season was interrupted by a groin injury that cost him the first five games, but he settled into a WR2 role upon return and showed promise across six productive starts (3/80, 5/52, 6/80, 7/103, 4/26/1, 7/58) while averaging 5.7 targets per game. 

The following year brought heightened expectations after a Marquise Brown trade to Arizona. Unfortunately, a left foot sprain and subsequent surgery in November derailed his season after six games. Bateman opened with two promising outings (2/59/1 and 4/108/1), followed by nine more catches for 118 yards on 16 targets across four matchups.

The 2023 season (32/367/1 on 56 targets) was quietly damaging to his profile. Bateman averaged just 3.5 targets per game, exceeded three catches in only one game, and showed little of the college talent that made him a first-round pick. Through his first 34 games, the cumulative line read 93 catches, 1,167 yards, and four touchdowns on 152 targets, underwhelming production for a receiver drafted with his pedigree.

2024 changed the narrative. Baltimore deployed him as a deep threat, and Batemon delivered (16.8 yards per catch, 11 catches of 20-plus yards, four catches of 40-plus yards, and nine regular-season touchdowns with two more in the playoffs). His five best games (4/121/1, 6/54/1, 3/80/2, 5/76/1, and 4/66/1) showcased what he can do when the ball finds him downfield. 

Batemon’s volume remained thin (five targets or fewer in 16 of 19 matchups, and only two games with more than four catches), meaning his fantasy value was almost entirely touchdown-dependent. But after three injury-riddled, underperforming seasons, his 2024 success at least confirmed the talent was still there.

Last season went down as a bust year for Batemon. His only game of value came in Week 3 (5/63/1). He finished with only 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 39 targets over 13 contests. An ankle injury in Week 10 led to four missed starts and two zero catch outcomes.

Rashod Bateman 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Bateman is in the final year of his contract, and he will turn 27 in late November.

Ravens sign WR Rashod Bateman to 3-year contract extension worth $36.75M including $20M guaranteed. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/BLM58ZxVPa

— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2025

Another underwhelming, injury year now masks any thought of a 60-catch season. In the early draft season, incoming rookie Elijah Sarrett (the Ravens also added Ja’Kobi Lane in the third round) has jumped Batemon in the wide receiver rankings, putting Batemon in survival mode in the fantasy market. He can make big plays and work the middle of the end zone at the goal line, so his fantasy funeral may end with an awakening.