Ravens Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Week 1 Outlook: Zay Flowers vs. Odell Beckham vs. Rashod Bateman

The Baltimore Ravens figure to be in the playoff hunt again with quarterback Lamar Jackson healthy heading into the 2023 season. They hve plenty of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, with tight end Mark Andrews expected to be the top target in the passing game. Who else might shine as a pass catcher in Week 1?

Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman are all ranked between 52-58 in our Week 1 receiver projections. Each receiver is projected to score six Standard fantasy points, so if you roster any of the trio, or have a chance to pick one up, which one is poised for the best fantasy showing?

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Zay Flowers Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Flowers was drafted 22nd overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and comes into Week 1 as the highest-ranked Ravens’ receiver in our projections. In due time, he could become Jackson’s top target in the passing game, but that might take some time.

Flowers contributed in two preseason games, including a two-catch, 37-yard performance against the Washington Commanders. He caught a 26-yard touchdown, but it came off a throw from backup QB Josh Johnson.

Flowers is projected at four targets, 2.8 catches, 38 yards and 0.3 touchdowns for the opening week of play. The Ravens open the season against the Houston Texans, who actually ranked in the top half of the league last season in passing yards allowed. 

Odell Beckham Jr. Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Beckham is looking to revitalize his career in Baltimore after missing the entire 2022 season. The last time he was on the field, he was hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after the Los Angeles Rams topped the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl.

Beckham has been a productive receiver wherever he has played, even as he’s aged and battled some injuries. In Baltimore, there’s a chance he becomes the favorite receiver of Jackson, which could vault him into the top echelon of fantasy wideouts again.

The big question is, of course, whether or not he can still be productive after missing so much time. It’s hard to ask for him to immediately be a star receiver again, but when you possess the athletic talent Beckham does, it also wouldn’t surprise me all that much.

The veteran is projected for five targets, 3.1 catches, 38 yards and 0.3 touchdowns in the opening week of play.

Rashod Bateman Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Bateman was putting up solid numbers in 2022 before going down with an injury and missing Weeks 9-18. In five games before the injury, he had anywhere from four to seven targets a game and finished with at least two catches in each game.

Bateman returned to the practice field in early August, after missing several days in training camp. As the receiver prepares for his third NFL season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Ravens monitor his snaps early on in an effort to get him ramped up and through the grind of the regular season. 

Bateman is projected for four targets, 2.1 receptions, 37 yards and 0.2 touchdowns in the first week.

Who Do I Start Week 1?

The Ravens have always been a more run-oriented team with Jackson behind center. Things are expected to look a bit different in 2023 after the team hired Todd Monken as the new offensive coordinator. He’s known as a coach that features more passing schemes.

While that bodes well if you own any of the Ravens’ pass catchers, it remains to be seen exactly how that might look on a week-to-week basis. There’s also the issue of trying to figure out who might become Jackson’s favorite wide receiver, as there isn’t any kind of history to look back on.

I look at Flowers, Beckham, and Bateman and see a scenario in which all three receivers are able to contribute in Week 1, and wouldn’t be surprised at all if they all finish within a couple of fantasy points of each other. With that in mind, I’m trying to avoid starting any of the trio in Week 1. Let a week or two pass and then reassess how the targets and playing time are distributed before sticking one of them into your starting lineup.

If I was forced into picking one, I’d go with Beckham just because of his overall career. I'm always hesitant to start rookie receivers in Week 1, especially ones with no preseason games with the starting quarterback like in the case of Flowers. Bateman and his injury are also cause for concern for me, and I'd avoid using a starting spot on a receiver that might be on a pitch count.