Who Should I Start? Zay Jones or Rashod Bateman

Tuesday, April 30, 10:20 AM

The Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran wide receiver Zay Jones on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Despite the team selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, this is somewhat of a surprising move. Jacksonville lost Calvin Ridley to the Titans this offseason, so depth behind Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Thomas Jr. is looking thin. However, it's worth noting veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry is trying out for the Jaguars, so this could hint at his potential signing. After an 823-yard season in 2022, Jones battled injuries in 2023 and caught just 34 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Given the importance of the wideout spot in today's NFL, he should have a decent market for his services. The 29-year-old has hauled in 287 passes for 3,028 yards and 18 touchdowns in 104 career games.

Wednesday, April 24, 2:11 PM

The Baltimore Ravens signed wide receiver Rashod Bateman to an undisclosed contract extension on Wednesday that ties him to the team through the 2026 season. Bateman was able to stay healthy in 2023, but he was overshadowed by rookie first-rounder Zay Flowers and finished with a disappointing 32 catches for 367 yards and just one touchdown on 56 targets in 16 regular-season games (12 starts) in his third year in the league. The 24-year-old former 27th overall pick in 2021 out of Minnesota hasn't lived up to his first-round billing and has found the end zone just four times in three years. The Ravens continue to say that Bateman is going to have a bigger role in the passing attack in 2024, but fantasy managers will want to see it before they believe it.