Fantasy Football: Ravens outlook for week two match against Bengals
Fantasy Football simply makes the world go ’round, and it’s now time to look at the best Baltimore Ravens to start Thursday vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
Joe Flacco:
Joe Flacco was the man against the Buffalo Bills. In less than three full quarters of action, Flacco tossed for 236-yards and three touchdowns. Flacco was accurate, confident, and above all else locked-in vs. the Bills Sunday afternoon. This bodes extremely well for his Fantasy Football value moving forward.
Many hoped that the selection of Lamar Jackson in round one of the 2018 NFL Draft, as well as the many additions to the offense via the draft and Free Agency, would light a fire under Flacco and force him into the best football of his career. Thus far, including preseason, this appears inherently true. So, come Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, we can expect more of the same.
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The Ravens are hot for revenge against the Bengals after their heartbreaking loss last season. A short week won’t matter too much for Flacco considering he had plenty of time to rest after getting up big on Buffalo. A pissed off mentality coupled with the thought of revenge should have Flacco ready for another big week in Cinci.
Projection: 265 passing yards, three total touchdown, zero interceptions
Alex Collins:
Alex Collins may have scored a touchdown in the opening game of the 2018 NFL season, but he was far from inspiring. Collins rushed for just 13-yards and lost a fumble during the game, reducing his point total to 6.9 points in PPR formats (Collins had one reception for six-yards). Perhaps we should be more careful with Collins’ stock going ahead.
Against the Bengals, the Ravens will be looking for a dominant win in all facets of the game. We just talked about how we expect Joe Flacco to put on a spectacle Thursday night, which hopefully means more opportunities for some Collins’ touches. The Ravens lost Kenneth Dixon for an extended period of time with a knee injury, which could open the door a bit wider for Collins. Unfortunately, the Ravens seem set on splitting carries among their backs.
Don’t rely on Collins to be the Fantasy Football RB2 we hoped he could be coming into 2018 until he starts geting bulk touches. While he is undoubtedly the Ravens top option in the backfield, proceed with caution. That said, a high-scoring game could be in the works for Baltimore and perhaps a rebound week is also in store for Collins.
Projection: 65 rushing yards, three receptions, 25 receiving yards, one touchdown
Javorius Allen:
Javorius Allen only found himself with four carries for 17-yards during Sunday’s action, but he did manage to make the most of it. Allen found his way into the end-zone and also nabbed five receptions for a boost in PPR leagues.
Moving forward, I’m unsure what to do with Allen’s Fantasy Football stock. He is clearly the top handcuff option in the Ravens backfield to Alex Collins, but that still doesn’t provide a ridiculous amount of value for him. In PPR formats, he could be a spot FLEX option, but that seems to be his ceiling. But with Kenneth Dixon out of the picture for a while, the spotlight will be on Allen and Collins.
The Ravens, at least for now, appear set on splitting carries between the two backs. Allen has a clear advantage over Collins in the receiving game, and if he can get his YPR up (3.0 on Sunday), he can truly obtain true value in Fantasy Football.
Projection: 35 rushing yards, six receptions, 45 receiving yards