The Baltimore Ravens seem to have the worst luck at times with their former first-round wide receivers. Whether it’s injuries, boneheaded plays, or just not performing, if you compare Lamar Jackson’s receiving core every year when you compare it to other top quarterbacks and what they have, it’s usually near the bottom.
Although they use two tight ends more than most teams with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, based on how the season ended against the Bills in Buffalo for last season’s divisional round, it’s still not enough. The Ravens still have a top running game with Derrick Henry and added veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, so the offense should take another step forward in 2025, regardless.
But there is a potential move looming with Andrews, even if they gave him his bonus, and with how the NFL Draft looks to play out, you can’t rule out another former first-round pick at the position. Baltimore has usually gone with the BPA mentality, and if they feel someone like Luther Burden or Emeka Egbuka is the best value, then they will swing at a pick like that in the first round at 27 despite other glaring needs.
With how it stands now, assuming they don’t add a receiver on day one or two, this is where I view the fantasy outlooks of their top three receivers. Including Zay Flowers, who is the current 21st ranked receiver in PPR (according to Fantasy Pros), and Rashod Bateman, the 61st ranked receiver. Hopkins is right behind the young breakout star at 62, as Bateman especially got on a heater late last season for fantasy football.
Zay Flowers, Top 25 WR in Fantasy?
Although Flowers has been a sensation, especially as a rookie going on to year two and now three, he could definitely improve in this Todd Monken offense with Jackson. He went from the 30th-ranked receiver to 25th, as Flowers did end his 2024 campaign for the Ravens on a sour note with an injury.
In a run-first offense with the Ravens, the young star pass-catcher did have some games going over 20 PPR points (with three) and wasn’t a bad PPR option overall. Flowers only had six games in the single digits, but some of those games (as a former Flowers owner in fantasy) killed you with his dud games.
Two of those games were at the tail end of the season, but the rollercoaster ride Flowers gave you week to week wasn’t fun, as he would have a few big games but then disappoint as a high upside fantasy receiver. Still, he likely didn’t lose you your week, as Baltimore had a tough schedule overall against the position. It was harder to predict those boom games, as it wasn’t matchup-dependent. It was whether or not he broke one to the house and scored.
Its kinda surprising because Flowers did over 1,000 yards but had fewer catches and touchdowns compared to his rookie year. If more options in the Ravens’ offense get more chances at touchdowns, the receiver will have moments of boom-bust, like last year. Depending on the utilization in the screen game, it will be interesting to see Bateman, Hopkins, and Flowers line up and see the target rates.
In terms of redraft, I kinda expect more of the same next season, as he could get even less volume in 2025. I would prefer fantasy football options around his range that are taken after him, like Courtland Sutton or Xavier Worthy, ranked 23rd and 28th despite their finishes (15th for Sutton and 33rd for Worthy). I would wait past round four to take Flowers, as he still has enough upside to take round five or six when looking at his early projections with consensus rankings.
Ravens’ Rashod Bateman, Sleeper Flex Option
Rashod Bateman, for the most part, finally stayed healthy in the regular season, as he had his career high season and showed his talent. In Monken’s offense, it was as a deep ball threat, connecting with Jackson for touchdowns nine times last season. Bateman had two games over 20 fantasy points in PPR, just one shy from Flowers, but his game-to-game consistency wasn’t as high due to target volume, with just six double-digit games.
Even with Hopkins coming into the fold, that could open things up even more for Bateman to get one-on-one downfield matchups with extra attention going to their other targets. While I can’t say he will get nine touchdowns again, Bateman could top 800 receiving yards for the first time as long as the efficiency is there for the Ravens.
When comparing Hopkins’ current ADP and Bateman’s neck and neck, I would take the risk on Bateman even if he’s more valued in half PPR or standard, as the ceiling is higher than the veteran. Baltimore will likely still have the young receiver as the intermediate and deep threat, while the veteran would only pay off his ADP in the 60s based on red zone looks and short-yardage targets, similar to Flowers but with less breakaway potential.
Bateman finished as a 40th receiver in PPR last year, and this could be his last chance with the Ravens to potentially eclipse the 1,000-yard mark as a former first-round pick. If he can get close to that, he should finish in the mid-30s among receivers and be a risky wide receiver two/ wide receiver three flex option for redraft teams.
DeAndre Hopkins, Boom-Bust Red Zone Threat
DeAndre Hopkins is not what he once was, but he was a good value signing for Baltimore and fits what they were missing with his contested catch ability. In terms of fantasy, the now Ravens receiver will lose out on the volume he could’ve had and did take advantage of at times with the Kansas City Chiefs last year.
The optimistic look is that he still may have that ceiling of what he did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, going over 28 points in PPR. It did seem like he wasn’t himself, dealing with a knee injury and playing through it in the playoffs that stemmed from something that happened in November. Also, Baltimore will likely target a receiver on day three and still have a few receivers that could cut into his snaps, depending on how it goes early in the year in 2025.
If Nuk can return to full health, at least early in the year, he does have wide receiver three upside with potential red zone looks. However, it may take some time for the new free-agent receiver brought in to gel with Jackson in Monken’s offense for the Ravens.
There is hope, as he did finish as the receiver 22 with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 before finishing as the receiver 48 in Kansas City. Hopkins could have a decent baseline of a couple of catches, at least 50 receiving yards, and a touchdown or two, best case.