Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is entering the 2024 season with a slimmer physique, which should hopefully make him more agile. This will certainly impact his fantasy football outlook this season. The team also brought in running back Derrick Henry, making for a devastating combination of rushers in the Ravens backfield.
There are several fantasy team name ideas you could use with Jackson’s name if you landed him, including the following:
- Lights, Camera, Jackson
- Dude, Where’s Lamar?
- Lamarvelous Victory
- In Lamar We Trust
Jackson is certainly a dynamic football player, but is he worth drafting? Find that out as I examine his 2024 season outlook and measure his value below.
Lamar Jackson’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
A popular fantasy football strategy is waiting on the quarterback, but if you want Jackson, that’s not going to happen.
In PPR leagues right now, Jackson is going as the QB4 and No. 42 overall. This is certainly later than Josh Allen (No. 22 overall) and Patrick Mahomes (No. 32), but in a 12-team league, this is still a fourth-round investment.
According to TruMedia, Jackson played in 16 games and completed 307 of 457 passes on 561 dropbacks for 2,678 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. On the ground, Jackson had 148 carries for 821 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. This was the highest rushing total he’s had over the past three seasons.
He was especially successful on third down, averaging 7.1 yards per carry on 31 tries for 221 yards. He had 14 first downs on third down.
Among quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks, he ranked sixth in completion percentage, 15th in passing yards, 11th in touchdowns, and 15th in dropbacks.
Of his attempts, 13.1% of them were 20+ yards downfield. He completed 19 of 60 passes for 681 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was incredibly successful on passes 10-19 yards downfield, completing 72 of 100 passes for 1,153 yards, 11 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The Ravens lost wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. but drafted Tez Walker out of North Carolina. The starting three receivers are positioned to be Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, and, of course, tight end Mark Andrews.
The addition of Henry will certainly cut into Jackson’s rushing production, but he could see some pass-catching production after hauling in 61 catches over the past two seasons. Jackson led the team in rushing last season with 821 yards. This was 11 more than Gus Edwards, who’s now with the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, the last time Henry finished with less than 1,000 yards in a season was 2021, when he had 937 yards in just eight games. Over the past two seasons, he’s had over 600 carries and 2,700 yards.
The Eagles have a Week 14 bye week.
Is Lamar Jackson a Good Fantasy Pick?
The Ravens are a run-heavy team, leading the league in rushing yards (156.4) and rush attempts (31.5) last season, but Henry’s presence will certainly take away from Jackson’s rushing production.
In 2023, Jackson finished as the QB3 with more pass-catching options and less competition at running back.
MORE: 2024 Consensus Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
Still, if we look at the Ravens backfield from last year, they had 541 total carries. Of those, about 240 are gone, with Edwards leaving for the Chargers—he had 198 carries.
There’s certainly a scenario where Jackson has similar rushing production even with Henry there, but then it’s a matter of which player will score the touchdowns.
Overall, I could see a similar season from Jackson even with Henry there, but again, at QB4, there’s not a lot of value in that pick in terms of him exceeding that.
Another QB3 finish is possible, but I think he floats around in the top five.
A stack of him and Flowers could be a fun one to have, too.