Baltimore Ravens

What you need to know (2023 Season):

• Record: 13-4 (1st in AFC North / #1 seed in the playoffs)

• Points Per Game: 28.4 (4th)

• Rushing Yards Per Game: 156.5 (1st)

The Baltimore Ravens were the top AFC team heading into the playoffs. Although, like in previous seasons, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens failed to show up when it mattered. Jackson is now 2-4 in the playoffs but remains in a good position to get back to post-season play to improve that record. Todd Monken claimed he wanted to improve the passing game and be more balanced on offense. Well, Monken kept his word as Lamar Jackson had career highs in completions (307), attempts (457), passing yards (3678), and completion percentage (67.2%). Make no mistake, the Ravens were still the top running team in the NFL, but they weren’t one-dimensional like they were under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman. We’ll see what the the Monken-Jackson duo has in store in year two and if they can build off a solid 2023 campaign. 

• Key Additions: None

• Draft Picks: Devin Leary (6th Round)

• Notable Losses: Tyler Huntley (Signed with Browns)

The Baltimore Ravens run their offense through Lamar Jackson. He’s the main cog in their offensive engine and currently the most electrifying rushing quarterback in the NFL. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2019, Lamar Jackson has finished inside the top 10 in points per game and has finished as a top-15 quarterback every season. Nothing this offseason has indicated that will change. Draft him with confidence.

The Backfield

• Key Additions: Derrick Henry (Signed from Titans)

• Draft Picks: Rasheen Ali (5th Round)

• Notable Losses: Gus Edwards (Signed with Chargers), JK Dobbins (Signed with Chargers)

The Ravens backfield went through a major facelift this offseason. They lost both Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in free agency to the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Baltimore found Mario’s power-up mushroom and upgraded to Derrick Henry who signed a two-year deal. Henry screams Baltimore Ravens football and is a perfect fit in their run-first offense. Gus Edwards was a solid player during his Baltimore career, but he’s not a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. The stats below from Gus Edwards are the FLOOR of what Derrick Henry should be able to accomplish this season. Getting 200 attempts, 1000 rush yards and double-digit touchdowns are, again, the floor this season. I’d be shocked if he didn’t finish as a top-12 running back this season.

Keaton Mitchell was an exciting rookie before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. He might not be ready to start the season, giving Justice Hill an early edge to the RB2 role. Regardless, neither will serve much value in redraft leagues with Derrick Henry eating the majority of the running back carries. When Mitchell does return, he and Hill will likely just cancel each other out. The only reason to draft either would be to have the “handcuff” to Derrick Henry. I do give Keaton Mitchell the bump over Justice Hill, for what it’s worth. Mitchell bested Hill in both PPG (10.0 v 6.8) and fantasy points per touch (1.25 v .98).

The Pass-Catchers

• Key Additions: None

• Draft Picks: Devontez Walker (4th Round)

• Notable Losses: Odell Beckham Jr. (Free Agent)

The answer to this question is yes. As a rookie, Zay Flowers led the team in almost every major receiving category; Target share (22.69%), targets (108), receptions (77), and receiving yards (858) and was tied second in touchdowns with five. Notably, Mark Andrews only played 10 games last season, but Flowers was still a top-30 wide receiver and averaged 12.9 points per game as a rookie. Speaking of Mark Andrews, he’s still among the league’s best and will remain in contention for the overall TE1 spot. Since Lamar Jackson became the full-time starter in 2019, Mark Andrews has been a top-6 fantasy tight end in PPG each season. Andrews is one of the safest fantasy options at the tight end position.

It’s not often you hear of a team sporting two fantasy-relevant players, but Baltimore is one of those rare cases. Isaiah Likely has been a stud when given a chance. In games where Mark Andrews has been inactive or left early due to injury, Likely has averaged 12 PPG. Behind these three players, the only other noteworthy players are 2021 first-round receiver Rashod Bateman and former Eagles 2015 first-round receiver Nelson Agholor. Bateman has been a fantasy “breakout” candidate since his rookie season but has yet to live up to the hype. Whereas Agholor is on his 4th team since leaving the Eagles after the 2019 season. They’ll have their weeks being waiver-wire darlings, but chances are neither with be consistent enough to stick. 

2024 Fantasy Summary

Lamar Jackson is going to get his passing and rushing numbers while being a fantasy cheat code. He brings QB1 overall upside every week and can single-handedly win you a matchup. Derrick Henry was built for Baltimore Ravens football. He might not be a weapon in the passing game, but Henry’s an absolute truck carrying the football - he should see close to 300+ carries this season. Touches are a fantasy player's best friend and Henry will see plenty of them. Both Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews will lead the passing attack and should be the next duo to surpass the 20% target share threshold together. Mark Andrews has the overall TE1 upside and is a safe bet to be a top-5 guy if healthy. Zay Flowers landed at WR30 last season and while he’ll get a slight uptick, odds are he’ll fall in that range again. A low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 with upside. Flowers will be the perfect flex target in your draft pending his ADP (average draft position)

As far as the other guys, Isaiah Likely, and maybe, Rashod Bateman are the only other players worth drafting late. The tight-end landscape is always scarce, so it couldn’t hurt to stash arguably the best “handcuff” at the position that’ll put up top-12 numbers if Mark Andrews were to miss time. Is anyone up for the 4th year breakout? Rashod Bateman signed a contract extension after the draft but has yet to eclipse 550 receiving yards in a season. The potential has been there for Bateman, so maybe this is the year, or maybe he’ll disappoint once again. Final note, keep an eye out if Keaton Mitchell lands on the PUP or IR list to open the season. If he lands on either, he would be a good final-round stash for your IR spot, giving you a potential boost or asset to use.