The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Baltimore Ravens players heading into their matchup with the Detroit Lions to help you craft a winning lineup.
Lamar Jackson, QB
Lamar Jackson was special last week when the defense absolutely sold out to stop the run, something he’s proven repeatedly that he can do.
He’s failed to complete 20 passes in a game this season, which would be a red flag in most situations, but Jackson is an exception to almost every rule in the book (six of his 33 completions have resulted in touchdowns).
It’s terrifying to think that he’s connecting vertically with DeAndre Hopkins. For my money, this is the best team in the sport and in a good spot to impress again under the bright lights.
Jackson is my QB1 this week, QB2 for the rest of the season.
Derrick Henry, RB
For me to say that the league has found a blueprint, a team would have to slow down the Ravens as a whole.
It’s odd that Derrick Henry carried the ball 11 times for 23 yards against the Browns last week (27 of those 23 yards came after contact), but it’s not as if Cleveland solved this Todd Monken system; they gave up 41 points!
Henry differs from the Tier 1 backs in that he will likely have games like this. It happens every year.
Know why, if you weren’t a Henry manager, you are blind to these occurrences?
Because he erases all memory of them with a historic game sooner or later, Baltimore relies on Henry, and no one knows how to slow this offense.
My math degree tells me that, by the transitive property, no one knows how to stop Henry.
He’s my RB3 this week.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR
We love to see a name from yesteryear produce, and maybe Hopkins has enough gas left in the tank to make a real impact on the Ravens’ Super Bowl run. However, I’d be surprised if he continues to matter in our game the way he has through two weeks.
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D-Hop has scored in both games this season, but he’s also been on the field for just 25.2% of the offensive snaps in this run-centric offense. The limited usage he does get is with a direct purpose (his non-touchdown catch last week was initially ruled a score but overturned via replay). But he’s basically the receiver version of a touchdown vulture, and you’re not considering that profile for your flex unless you’re awfully desperate.
I’m letting my leaguemates chase the name value here.
Rashod Bateman, WR
Rashod Bateman’s “thing” in his breakout 2024 was that he was Baltimore’s Rashid Shaheed: a big play waiting to happen that could rack up double-digit points on a single target.
It worked last season (16.8 yards per catch with nine scores), and if you benefited from it, more power to you.
It’s not happening this season, and that shouldn’t be overly surprising, considering that he was essentially a fantasy afterthought for the first three years of his career. The field stretch averages just 0.57 yards per route this season and has cashed in 49.7% of his expected points.
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And the Ravens have scored 81 points.
They don’t need Bateman to put points on the board, and he seems to be at more risk of losing usage (Isaiah Likely will eventually return, and Devonté Walker or Tylan Wallace could build on what they did Sunday) than gaining it.
We have an extended sample of Bateman being a below-average target earner at the professional level: there’s no statistical reason to burn a roster spot in this fashion.
Zay Flowers, WR
Zay Flowers has five career games with 7+ catches while posting 75+ air yards, and two have come this season.
I expressed tremendous optimism in this space last week about Flowers showing signs of developing into an alpha target earner. Although this is a low-volume offense, I continue to be impressed.
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We know that Todd Monken is a tactical genius, so it’s not lost on me that Flowers was in a position to be targeted on four of Jackson’s first six throws over the weekend.
It appears Father Time is catching up with Mark Andrews, which only furthers my confidence in my Flowers position. He’s the only Raven with 100 receiving yards (218). Heck, he’s the only Raven with 5+ receptions.
The way this offense is constructed, it doesn’t need to have a WR who is on fantasy radars. But who are we to argue when a player produces at this level and is a perfect schematic fix?
Flowers has moved to a top 20 receiver for me the rest of the way and a top 15 guy in what could be a very exciting conclusion to the third week of the season.
Isaiah Likely, TE
Likely underwent surgery in July on a broken foot bone, resulting in no real ramping-up period for the season. His status for Week 3 is unclear after missing the season opener, but with all 32 teams in action this week, why would you roll the dice on a player whose role isn’t 100% clear even when 100% healthy?
A player like Likely is the difference between shallow and deep leagues. I have no patience for an injured asset entering the season unless you have access to an IR slot for him. If that’s the case, you have nothing to lose. If not, what do you have to gain?
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In deep leagues, however, Likely is close to a must-stash. He posted a 39.5% snap share in 2022, earned a promotion to 43.9% in 2023, and saw it spike to 60.3% in Year 3. He’s an impactful talent in an explosive offense, and that’s a profile that I don’t mind stashing over a WR7 type that I see so many deeper league rosters sit on.
If your WR7 is hitting your lineup, your ship has already sunk. At the tight end position, a player like Likely can bust into the TE1 conversation without outlier production, and that is why I want exposure to him.
That said, he’s reached twice in his career double-digit PPR points when not playing at least half of the offensive snaps. There’s more risk than reward for a profile like that on a team that has an eye on the big picture at all times (68 wins since the beginning of 2019, the third most in the league), but there is also long-term appeal to a young player whose talent is obvious.
Stash if you have the room, and if you don’t have the space right now, don’t be shy about pouncing when we see signs of full health.
