NFL fantasy diamonds for 2022 - Wide receivers

Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman

This one was pretty easy, because I just talked about him in depth as well, as a breakout candidate for 2022.

Rashod Bateman was the Baltimore Ravens' first-round pick in the NFL draft last year. A groin injury cost him the first five games of the season and it took him a little bit of time to get back into a groove. However, once he had acclimated himself in the NFL, there was a lot to like. The way he consistently threatened vertically, changed up his footwork at the line, was able to snap off routes, consistently frame the football and then effectively pick up yards after the catch.

Here are a few numbers from that write-up I mentioned: Bateman picked up 29 first downs on his 46 receptions, despite his average depth of target of 8.8 yards being nearly five yards less than what he averaged in college. He only dropped two catchable passes and finished fifth among NFL wide receivers with a contested catch rate of nearly 64%.

The Ravens are bound to regress to the mean in terms of run-pass ratio. Though this may work against my argument on running back J.K. Dobbins, it’s realistic to expect that number to land somewhere between 2019/20 and 2021. More importantly, with the departures of Marquise Brown and Sammy Watkins to a lesser degree, 32% of the WR target share from last season is now up for grabs. While the Ravens drafted a couple of tight-ends who could largely work detached from the line, they didn’t really add anybody else at the receiver position.

That also plays into my next point, which is Bateman running 81.7% of his routes split out wide in his rookie NFL season. Now with him as the clear number one option, just reading the room in terms of the moves made, I would expect Greg Roman and company to move him around a lot. They will create opportunities for him to consistently be the primary read on plays and match very well with Lamar Jackson’s willingness to attack the middle of the field. Whether that’s being tasked with glancing routes on the backside of RPOs or running dig routes as linebackers have to creep up. That’s along with how quick he is at finding space once the initial route is dead and the scramble drill is on.

This may not necessarily be the profile analytics NFL folks love, in terms of this wanting to be a run-oriented offense, but imagining Bateman’s role in the offense. Being able to actually work with Lamar for a full offseason, the lack of investments into the receiver position and just thinking of the workload he’s due, getting him as your WR4 probably could give you a super-consistent option.