Week 9 Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Rashod Bateman Vs. Malik Washington
In this story:
Injuries, inconsistency and other offensive struggles could create interesting decisions for fantasy football owners in Week 9, especially at the wide receiver position. Among WR2s around fantasy, Rashod Bateman and Malik Washington will be the focus.
Bateman and the Baltimore Ravens are coming off a Week 8 victory over the Chicago Bears despite the absence of quarterback Lamar Jackson. As Jackson nears his return, he and the Ravens will prepare to take on Washington and the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football this week. The Dolphins are coming off a rare win, taking down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
While they may not be stars, these two wideouts provide fantasy lineups with valuable depth, as each player makes a legitimate case to start. Here’s who we think offers the better argument to start in Week 9:
The Case For Rashod Bateman
After a breakout performance versus the Detroit Lions, Bateman has been unable to sustain consistent production, but managed his second-best performance of the season in Week 8. During the win over Chicago, Bateman hauled in two of his four targets for 51 yards, finishing the matchup with 7.1 PPR points among fantasy leagues. His production marked the second-highest point total of the season entering a favorable matchup versus a lowly Dolphins defense, which could work in Bateman’s favor on Thursday.
The Case Against Bateman
Over the team’s first seven games of the season, Bateman has endured his share of inconsistency. The wideout has eclipsed 5.0 PPR points just twice this season and has struggled to maintain notable production aside from his two previously mentioned performances in Weeks 3 and 8. Without Jackson to offer a consistent floor of volume, his output has wavered throughout the season.
The Case For Malik Washington
Following a brutal injury to star wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Sep. 29, Washington stepped up for the Dolphins in Week 8, posting 13.6 PPR points in fantasy, his best production of the season so far. He hauled in four of his five targets for 36 yards and a touchdown through the air, offering encouraging output for fantasy owners. Washington has shown improvement throughout the season and continued to emerge with his strongest showing to date in Week 8.
The Case Against Washington
It remains to be seen if Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can sustain his level of Week 8 play going forward. In the win over Atlanta, the quarterback threw just six incompletions on his way to a four-touchdown performance without an interception. Given the inconsistency at quarterback, Washington’s ceiling remains largely unknown entering the new week.
The Final Verdict
I’m going to start Washington over Bateman, given Washington’s trend of production over the past several weeks. While Bateman has progressed and regressed in fantasy at times throughout the season, Washington has endured a consistent, steady rise in production, an encouraging sign in fantasy. Coming off his best performance of the season, Washington could replicate his efforts versus an inconsistent Ravens defense on Thursday night.
Read More Fantasy On SI News
Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.