Start Rashod Bateman or Makai Lemon? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Makai Lemon over Rashod Bateman in Week 1.

Makai Lemon is priced by the books at 6.0 projected points. Rashod Bateman has no player market posted for this week, so his side of this call rests on consensus ADP and the news wire only. Drafters take Makai Lemon at ADP 133 and Rashod Bateman at 140. Market coverage on Makai Lemon is 33 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 6.0 fantasy points for Makai Lemon, with 33 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for Rashod Bateman in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Makai Lemon and PHI host WAS on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

WAS allowed 26.1 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 14th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 121 yards and a touchdown against WAS.

Rashod Bateman and BAL visit IND.

IND allowed 37.9 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 9th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 229 yards and a touchdown against IND.

By points allowed to the position, Rashod Bateman has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Makai Lemon was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Rashod Bateman was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Rashod Bateman played 13 games for BAL and scored 55.4 PPR points, 4.3 a game, finishing WR102.

He caught 19 of 38 targets for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 185 air yards.

He was on the field for 69 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Rashod Bateman, Week 17 of 2025 against GB: 40 of 76 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 7 yards, 1.7 PPR points.

Rashod Bateman, Week 16 of 2025 against NE: 38 of 55 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

How Week 1 went

Makai Lemon scored 2.5 PPR points and Rashod Bateman scored 0.0.

The call was right: Makai Lemon outscored Rashod Bateman by 2.5.

Makai Lemon finished 3.5 points below the 6.0 the props implied.

Makai Lemon, Week 1 against WAS: 35 of 55 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for -5 yards, 2.5 PPR points.

Makai Lemon finished as the week's WR91 in PPR scoring.

Rashod Bateman, Week 1 against IND: 53 of 68 snaps, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Deebo Samuel Sr. over Makai Lemon.
• Start Makai Lemon over Denzel Boston.
• Start De'Zhaun Stribling over Makai Lemon.
• Start Rashod Bateman over Jalen McMillan.
• Start Jerry Jeudy over Rashod Bateman.
• Start Rashid Shaheed over Rashod Bateman.