All summer, fantasy managers were trying to figure out who was going to be the WR2 for the Baltimore Ravens. Rashod Bateman remains the clear WR1, but Devin Duvernay had the best fantasy performance in Week 1. What is Duvernay’s fantasy value, and should fantasy football managers add him off the waiver wire ahead of Week 2?
Is Devin Duvernay a priority waiver wire pickup?
Since the Ravens traded away Marquise Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft, fantasy managers have been speculating over who the WR2 would be opposite Rashod Bateman. Did we get an answer in Week 1? Is that answer Duvernay?
The good news is that Duvernay was the WR2. He was second amongst wide receivers in snaps and third total, including Mark Andrews, and he was on the field in two-receiver sets. The problem is it wasn’t by much.
The Ravens ran 56 offensive plays against the Jets. Andrews played on 47 of them. Bateman played on 37 of them. Duvernay only played on 29, which was just over 50%. He played just four more snaps than both Demarcus Robinson and Isaiah Likely.
Although Duvernay was technically the WR2 by usage, he split a lot of time with Robinson. Both players saw four targets. The primary difference was that Duvernay happened to catch two touchdowns. No one would even be discussing Duvernay as a potential waiver wire pickup if not for his efficiency and end zone prowess.
I’m not optimistic about Duvernay seeing any meaningful increase in playing time or volume. Despite my affinity for Lamar Jackson, he will never be the type of quarterback that can support three fantasy-relevant pass-catchers. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t at least a little concerned about Bateman. Duvernay doesn’t really have a chance.
Should fantasy managers add Devin Duvernay off the Week 2 waiver wire?
Managing FAAB is crucial to a fantasy team’s success. It’s equally important to know who not to spend budget on than it is to target the right players. I would pass on Duvernay as a waiver claim this week.
Duvernay scored 21.4 PPR fantasy points in Week. I would not be surprised if that ended up being his best game of the season. In fact, I would be more surprised if it wasn’t. Duvernay’s 100% catch rate is unsustainable, as is his 50% touchdown rate.
The Ravens will have games where they experience a negative game script. There will be games where they have to throw more than 30 times. In those games, Duvernay will have more of a chance. However, even in those games, I don’t expect him to produce much more than he did in Week 1.
In standard-sized 12-team leagues, a guy like Duvernay doesn’t need to be on fantasy rosters. I wouldn’t even put in a claim for him.
In deeper leagues where just about any NFL starting player is rostered, Duvernay is worth a pickup, but only if he’s better than the last guy on your roster. For most of you, your FAAB/waiver capital is better spent elsewhere.
