2024 Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Preview

Baltimore finished sixth in offense and defense in 2023, but another disappointing playoff loss saw the top-seeded Ravens ousted in the AFC Championship. Even after leading the league in rushing, there will be wholesale changes to Baltimore’s offense in 2024.

QB Lamar Jackson’s first season in Todd Monken’s offense was a success. Jackson completed a career-best 67.2% of his attempts and set a personal best with 3,678 passing yards. On a per-game basis, Jackson rushed less than he was accustomed to but still led the position with 821 yards on the ground.

In all, Jackson finished fourth in fantasy scoring despite being the centerpiece of a run-first offense. The Ravens have only produced one 1000-yard wide receiver during Jackson’s tenure. Finding weapons to restore balance to Baltimore’s attack would go a long way.

Second-year WR Zay Flowers is the logical choice to join Marquise Brown as Jackson’s next 1000-yard wideout. Flowers led the Ravens in targets (108), catches (77), and yards (858) during his rookie campaign. Flowers began to assert himself as a legit No. 1 receiver during the playoff drive. He is a strong breakout candidate with top-20 upside.

After Flowers, things are more uncertain. Rashod Bateman is a candidate to see an increased role, but Bateman hasn’t been able to stay healthy or live up to his first-round billing. The Ravens also added Devontez Walker from North Carolina with a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Walker boasts 4.36 speed and will compete with Bateman and Nelson Agholor for WR3 snaps.

TE Mark Andrews remains the best bet to lead the club in targets and touchdown grabs. Andrews ranked fifth in PPR points per game but missed nearly half the campaign with an ankle injury. An Andrews/Jackson stack is among the top contrarian builds to exit your draft with.

Third-year TE Isiah Likely faired well when Andrews was sidelined. Given Baltimore’s lack of depth in the receiving corps, expecting Monken to utilize 12 sets more often than last year’s 11.1% (27th in the league) seems like a good bet.

When the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack adds a stud fantasy option like Derrick Henry, fantasy managers should take notice. Henry is showing signs of slowing down. However, he is an elite touchdown scorer and a strong bet to lead the league in that category in 2024. He won’t catch a ton of passes in this offense, but Henry looks like a good bet for 1,200 rushing yards and 12-14 scores.

The Ravens will remain a run-heavy offense that features a potential top-10 player at three positions and a sophomore wideout that could break out in a big way.

Quarterbacks

QB LAMAR JACKSON – STUD (LOW RISK)

Year One in Todd Monken’s offense resulted in the finest passing season of Lamar Jackson’s career. Jackson set career-best numbers in attempts (457), completions (307), completion rate (67.2%), and yards (3,678). He also remained one of the position’s most potent rushing threats, leading all quarterbacks with 821 yards and an additional five scores on the ground. Baltimore doesn’t have the deepest receiving corps, but the addition of RB Derrick Henry will further help open things up downfield for a Ravens offense that led the league in rushing last season and ranked fourth in points. Since entering the league, Jackson’s rushing production has given him a safe floor behind an elite offensive line. ADVICE: Elite starter with top-3 upside…

Week 10 DFS: Tight End Report

Last week, six tight ends scored more than 20.00 fantasy points, led by Dalton Schultz (10/130/1). Cade Otton (24.00) finished second, followed by Cole Kmet (23.50). The best tight end over the past three weeks has been Taysom Hill (20.12 FPPG). Here are the top five players by scoring average after nine weeks in PPR formats:

• Travis Kelce (15.63)
• T.J. Hockenson (14.63)
• Mark Andrews (13.86)
• Sam LaPorta (13.80)
• Cole Kmet (12.06)

Here are the top plays this week via the Week 8 DFS: Tight End Report. Also, check out the Week 10 DFS: QB Report.

Top Tier Options

Mark Andrews, BAL (DK – $6,900/FD – $7,300)

Even in a blowout game against the Seahawks, Andrews caught a season-high nine passes for 80 yards on 10 targets. He averaged 16.95 fantasy points in PPR formats over his last six starts, highlighted by two winning outputs (25.00 and 22.30). On the downside, Andrews averaged only 6.9 targets. His best game (5/80/2) came in Week 4 vs. the Browns.

Cleveland has the best tight end defense (19/155/2 on 28 targets). They held seven opponents to fewer than 6.00 fantasy points (CIN – 3/17, PIT – 1/2, TEN – 3/7, SF – 1/1, IND – 1/-6, SEA – 2/32, and ARI – 3/22). The Browns played well defensively in three games (3, 3, and 0 points allowed) while showing much more weakness on the road (88 points over three matchups). They have 26 sacks, requiring the tight end to help in pass protection on some plays.

The Ravens’ offense has been exceptional over their last three games (106 points), leading to 13 touchdowns and five field goals over 34 possessions. Baltimore runs the ball well, especially in scoring (15 touchdowns). Andrews will have some chances at the goal line, but he needs a wide open game to fill his salary bucket. Not ideal for his salary, but I can’t dismiss him. 

George Kittle, SF (DK – $6,1000/FD – $6,300)

A chaser game in Week 8 led to Kittle setting season-highs in catches (9), receiving yards (149), and targets (11), lifting him to sixth in tight end scoring (94.50 fantasy points). Over eight starts, he has been a losing investment in four matchups (3/19, 3/30, 1/9, and 1/1) while receiving 12 combined targets in those games. His best three days came at home (7/90, 3/67/3, and 9/149). The injury to Deebo Samuel bumped up his value over the two previous weeks.

The Jaguars rank 25th…

 

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Week 9 DFS: Tight End Report

The injury to Zach Ertz was a big win for Trey McBride investors in Week 8. He was the top-scoring tight end (25.50) in PPR formats while finishing with his best career game (10/95/1). George Kittle (23.90), Taysom Hill (22.90), and T.J. Hockenson (20.80) were the only other players to score more than 20.00 fantasy points. Five other tight ends scored between 17.50 and 19.80 fantasy points. Here’s a look at the top five tight ends after eight weeks by scoring average:

• Travis Kelce (17.04)
• T.J. Hockenson (14.73)
• Sam LaPorta (13.80)
• Mark Andrews (13.46)
• George Kittle (11.81)

Here are the top plays this week via the Week 8 DFS: Tight End Report. Also, check out the Week 9 DFS: QB Report.

Top-Tier Option

Mark Andrews, BAL (DK – $6,800/FD – $7,500)

With Travis Kelce off the main slate on Sunday, Andrews has the highest salary at tight end at DraftKings and FanDuel. His targets have been low in five (5, 5, 6, 6, and 5) of his six starts, leading to no game with impact catches (six in Week 5) or yards (high of 80 in Week 4). Andrews posted his best fantasy point games (25.00 and 22.30) when he scored twice in each matchup. In 2022, Baltimore gave him double-digit targets in five contests, leading to four winning days (9/104/1, 8/89/2, 8/89/1, and 7/106/1).

Seattle sits 12th in tight end defense (30/342/1), with the worst showing coming last week vs. the Browns (5/83/1). They played two teams with weakness at tight end (CAR – 3/34 and CIN – 2/9). The Seahawks’ defense struggled over their first three games (30, 31, and 27) in points allowed. Over the last four games, they allowed 50 combined points and only five touchdowns.

Andrews appears to be overpriced in the daily market in Week 9, suggesting he’s only in play if using him with Lamar Jackosn and hoping for a much higher-scoring game than expected. Ultimately, Seattle needs to jump out to a big lead to force the Ravens to attempt more passes.

Mid-Tier Options

Dallas Goedert, PHI (DK – $4,800/FD – $5,800)

Over the past month, Goedert has been an every-other-week player (8/117/1, 5/42, 5/77/1, and 4/36), with his best outcomes coming in odd weeks. The Eagles gave him seven targets or more in five of his last seven starts. Last year, he posted two dull games (2/22 and 3/67) vs. the Cowboys. 

Dallas ranks 20th…

 

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Week 2 DFS: Tight End Report

The tight end position came up empty for too many fantasy teams in Week 1, highlighted by two star players (Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews) taking the week off. In addition, George Kittle (4.90 fantasy points) and Dallas Goedert (no catches) weren’t worthy of starting in any format. T.J. Hockenson (11.50 fantasy points) was the third-highest scoring option in PPR formats.

Six of the top 10 scoring tight ends were either undrafted or resided on fantasy benches.

• Hunter Henry (5/56/1)
• Hayden Hurst (5/41/1)
• Donald Parham (3/21/1)
• Blake Bell (2/12/1)
• Harrison Bryant (2/5/1)
• Adam Trautman (5/34)

Zach Ertz led all tight ends in targets (10) despite being questionable to play in Week 1. Logan Thomas (8), Durham Smythe (7), and Kylen Granson (6) ranked in the top 10 in targets despite being found in the free-agent pool in almost all 12-team league heading into Week 2. Here’s the total tight end production from Washington, Miami, and Indianapolis in 2022:

• Commanders – 60/518/2 on 98 targets
• Dolphins – 47/491/6 on 75 targets
• Colts – 75/803/6 on 108 targets

Indy had the best overall tight end opportunity of the three last year while throwing the ball over 600 times. The change at quarterback points to a minimum of 100 fewer throws. Also,  the Colts rotated in three options in Week 1. Here is the snap breakdown for their tight ends in 2022: Mo Alie-Cox (586), Kylen Granson (408), and Jelani Woods (334).

Last season, only five tight ends averaged more than 10.00 fantasy points per game in PPR formats (7 in 2021 and 6 in 2020).

Here’s a look at some tight ends on the main slate in Week 2 in the DFS market:

Also, check out FullTime Fantasy‘s  Week 2 DFS QB Report and Week 2 DFS RB Report.

 

Top Tier Options

 

Mark Andrews, BAL (DK – $6,300/FD – $8,000)

In the early projections, Andrews is the top-rated tight end for Week 2. But he is far from a lock to be a difference-maker after turning in a limited practice on Wednesday. Last year, he scored more than 20.00 fantasy points in four of his 14 matchups (25.70, 28.90, 22.90, and 23.60), but they all came over the first six weeks. Andrews also sat out Week 1 in 2022 but delivered an impact game (9/107/1) the following game vs. the Dolphins at home. He had two starts (8/89/1 and 5/73) against Cincinnati last season.

The Bengals (88/924/3) struggled to defend the tight end four times (7/115,10/96/1, 10/87, and 8/67/1) in 2022. The Browns’ tight ends had five catches for 41 yards and one score on six targets in Week 1.

Andrews comes into this week with risk in his role and potential snaps. At the same time, his higher salary requires 25.00 fantasy points to be worth the investment. If he plays, I don’t expect him to be a popular option, creating an edge ownership if he does pay off. I’m only taking a flier on him on teams with Lamar Jackson.

George Kittle, SF (DK – $5,300/FD – $6,200)

Kittle had a dull showing in Week 1 (3/19 on six targets) while being in the field for 69% of the 49ers plays. When at his best late in 2022, San Fran gave him 90% or more of their tight end snaps in 11 of his 18 games. His best success came over four games (4/93/2, 6/120/2, 4/23/1, and 4/29/2) late last season with Brock Purdy behind center. Kittle had five catches or more in only four matchups (5/47, 8/83, 6/98/1, and 6/120/2) with only one double-digit target game (10). 

The Rams finished 13th in…

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2023  Baltimore Ravens Outlook

The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.

Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.

Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Baltimore Ravens Outlook.

— Offense —

The foundation of the Ravens’ game plan and attack remains the same. They want to run the ball as much as possible while playing well on the defensive side of the ball. Baltimore ran the ball 51.9% of the time in 2022 while averaging 30.9 carries per game. They finished 22nd in combined yards. In 2022, their passing game showed more promise (4,267 yards). This may be a hint of more passes this season, helped by the additions at wide receiver in the offseason.

— Quarterback —

Lamar Jackson

After gaining over 1,000 yards rushing in 2019 (1,206) and 2020 (1,005) with an edge in rushing touchdowns (14), Jackson missed five games in back-to-back years. He was on pace for 1,087 and 1,082 rushing yards if he played 17 games in 2021 and 2022. In his career, Jackson has averaged 63 rushing yards over 70 contests. 

His peak total in pass attempts (401 – 26.7 per game) came in 2019 over 15 starts. In 2021, he was on pace to throw 541 passes (31.8 per game). Jackson struggled to deliver rushing touchdowns in 2021 (2) and 2022 (3). That lowered his ceiling in fantasy points. He only needs 1,673 more rushing yards to pass Michael Vick (6,109 – 143 games) for the most in NFL history. 

Jackson busted out of the gate over the first three weeks last season with 992 combined yards (749/10 passing) with a dozen scores. Over his next eight complete games, he averaged only 185 passing yards on 29.3 attempts. That’s a modest 6.3 yards per attempt figure. Jackson also scored only once on the ground over this span.

Fantasy Outlook: Jackson’s success and fantasy value start with impact yards on the ground. He must regain his lost momentum in rushing touchdowns to push higher in the quarterback rankings. The Ravens look to have the most receiving depth since Jackson arrived on the scene, pointing to a career-high in his passing output. He ranks sixth at quarterback in the early draft season in the high-stakes market. His ceiling looks to be 4,500 combined yards with 35 scores. And I view Jackson as reasonably priced. My only advice is to add a second quarterback of value to protect against a season-ending knee injury. 

Other Options: Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown, Nolan Henderson

— Running Backs —

The Ravens’ running backs remain active in touchdowns over the past three seasons (16, 16, and 15). They continue to have a low ranking in the receiving categories, highlighted by their receiving yards (267 – 31st) and yards per catch (5.5 – 31st). Last year, their backs averaged 20.48 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Lamar Jackson steals many chances in the run game, and his pass attempts tend to be low in most matchups. This creates a lower ceiling for the Ravens’ running backs.

J.K. Dobbins

Baltimore stole Dobbins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Dobbins brings a fighter’s mentality to the ground game with strength in his runs. He aims to drive the ball forward with quickness and vision, with against-the-grain cuts. He’ll take a hit and lose his balance, but Dobbins finds a way to stay upright on many plays while offering a stiff arm.

While playing in a great system at Ohio State, Dobbins looked elite in his freshman year (1,538 combined yards with eight touchdowns and 22 catches on 216 touches), seeing about 55% of the running back opportunity. His game regressed in 2018 (1,316 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and 26 catches) due to Mike Weber (172/954/5) outplaying Dobbins on many days. In 2019, Dobbins regained his bounce in his step, which led to a high volume opportunity (301/2,003/21 plus 23 catches for 247 yards and two touchdowns).

Over the first six games in 2020, Dobbins only averaged six touches per game. This resulted in 228 combined yards and two touchdowns and 11 catches. His opportunity became fantasy relevant over the Ravens’ final 11 matchups (827 combined yards with eight touchdowns and 11 catches), resulting in 12.88 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. His highlight game came in Week 17 (13/160/2).

In 2021, Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee before the start of the year, leading to a lost season. He didn’t look healthy last year, resulting in eight more missed starts (a clean-up knee surgery midseason) over the first 12 games (35/123/1 with six catches for 39 yards and one score). Dobbins ran the ball much better over his final five contests (70/459/1 – 6.6 yards per rush) while picking up five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Fantasy Outlook: With an entire offseason to get his knee in shape and work on his strength, Dobbins should be ready to rock and roll in Week 1. He won’t make much impact in the passing game, and Baltimore will rotate in a second runner on early downs. Dobbins also takes a hit from Lamar Jackson sniping goal-line carries and scores. I see about 250 touches for 1,300 yards, double-digit scoring, and 25 catches. At best, a mid-tier RB2 in PPR formats with a limited ceiling and outcome of impact games. 

Gus Edwards

In his four seasons with the Ravens, Edwards gained at least 5.0 yards per rush every year (5.2, 5.3, 5.0, and 5.0). He has limited value in the passing game (18/194 – no catches in 2022), but his play in this area flashed more explosiveness in 2020 (9/129 – three catches over 20 yards) while finishing with 852 combined yards with six scores and nine catches on 144 carries). Baltimore gave him more than 10 touches in six of his 18 games (including playoffs).

Edwards also blew out his left knee before Week 1 in 2021, leading to no touches. His slow recovery led to him missing the first six games last season. After two helpful games (16/66/2 and 11/65), Edwards was back on the sidelines for the following three weeks with a hamstring issue. Over his final seven appearances, he gained 354 combined yards with one touchdown and one catch.

Fantasy Outlook: Edwards posted a floor of 700 rushing yards in his first three years with the Ravens. He plays with power while offering a closing mentality when Baltimore plays from the lead. Edwards should be back to full strength at the start of the year while resuming his RB2 role for Baltimore. I expect him

 

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE RAVENS IN 2023?

To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players

 

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