DeAndre Hopkins has a new team. A one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s another chance for Hopkins to chase another ring after losing this past year with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hopkins joins a team with a glaring need at wide receiver but a stellar quarterback and a future Hall of Fame running back. At almost 33 years old, can Hopkins have an immediate impact, or will he be a role player mentoring the next generation? Who else benefits, and who is collaterally damaged by the DeAndre Hopkins signing?
Winners of the DeAndre Hopkins Signing
Lamar Jackson: QB- Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson has two MVP awards and the most rushing yards by a quarterback of all time. What he doesn’t have is a Super Bowl win or appearance. The Baltimore Ravens have done everything they can to get there. They brought in running back Derrick Henry and have now signed DeAndre Hopkins. This is just another weapon for Jackson as he looks to add to his trophy case.
Winners are usually players whose value is going to go up, but when you finish as QB1 in fantasy, there isn’t much room to go up. This helps Lamara hold on to that top spot. He had a massive jump in passing touchdowns last season, but that should be closer to the norm than an outlier.
Zay Flowers: Wide Receiver- Baltimore Ravens
Popular belief would be that bringing in an Alpha, even an aging one, would hurt the other Alphas on the team. I don’t think that is the case with Zay Flowers. First, I don’t consider him a true alpha. Flowers is a superstar wide receiver, but he plays better from the slot than outside. The Ravens’ signing of DeAndre Hopkins brings in someone with a different skill set than Flowers.
Hopkins can also be a mentor for Flowers. Flowers has been good in his two years as a pro, but it never hurts to have a future Hall of Famer teaching you things. That’s what Hopkins can bring to the Ravens on top of his play on the field. The Ravens have been trying to find someone opposite Flowers for some time, and Hopkins is the best they have found. Flowers finished as the WR25, and I expect him to increase that slightly. If he can score a few more touchdowns, he could jump into the low-end WR1 range for your fantasy team.
Rashee Rice & Xavier Worthy: WR- Kansas City Chiefs
The Super Bowl was a heart breaker for the Kanas City Chiefs. Not only did they lose, but they looked incapable against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a chance for a three-peat for the Chiefs. Even with that, going to three in a row is a feat not to be dismissed. The Chiefs could have signed DeAndre Hopkins to make another run at it. Letting him go and sign with one of their main rivals shows that they are comfortable with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy heading into 2025.
I’m not going to get into the possible suspensions of those guys or if we see them or not, but DeAndre Hopkins signing with the Ravens is a sign that the Chiefs are willing to roll with them as a part of their offense. Both should be drafted for fantasy. Worthy has the flash and upside to be a weekly winner but will be inconsistent. Rice has already shown that he can be a main target on the team and for your fantasy team. We have to monitor the possible suspensions, but when they do play, they will be great fantasy assets.
Losers of the DeAndre Hopkins Signing
Rashod Bateman: WR- Baltimore Ravens
Rashod Bateman had the best year of his career in 2024 with the Ravens. He saw 72 targets and caught 9 touchdowns. DeAndre Hopkins’s signing means that he has all but lost his role on the offense. Bateman will be moved down to the third on the depth chart. A role held last season by Nelson Agholor. Agholor (currently a free agent) only had 29 targets in 14 games. It’s a massive downgrade for Bateman this year.
Bateman finished 2024 as the WR40. He had some weeks where you were happy with his performance but others where he was below five fantasy points. If you can’t trust him in his best year, then what are you going to do in a season where he is playing less and seeing fewer targets? Besides being behind Hopkins and Flowers, Bateman has to deal with two tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. It’s a clear avoid for me for fantasy this season.
Amari Cooper: WR- Free Agent
The deal that Hopkins got was only 1 year for 5 million dollars with another million in incentives. That is with a team looking to make a Super Bowl run and willing to spend. What does that mean for Amari Cooper? Cooper is slightly younger than Hopkins, 30 compared to 32. The issue with Cooper is that he was bounced around last season, from the Cleveland Browns to the Buffalo Bills. He had similar numbers to Hopkins for the season, but looked like a shell of himself late in the season.
Cooper probably came into free agency hoping to land with a contender. The Ravens were one of those landing spots. That is now gone. So, Cooper is left still searching for a team and a role. He won’t be getting a good deal. If Hopkins got 5 million, I would expect Cooper to see around 4. With other veterans like Keenan Allen still available, it’s going to be hard for Amari Cooper to find a contending team, a solid contract, and a significant role. He will likely have to settle for one of the three.
Let us know who YOU think is the biggest winner and loser over at The Fantasy Advice Network.
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