Ravens: Top 4 fantasy players for Baltimore in 2021

In 2020, the Baltimore Ravens had to fight for a playoff spot. In a season that was ravaged by injuries and players testing positive for COVID-19, the team ended the regular season on a good note.

In fantasy football, however, it does not matter how well the team does, but how well a player performs. While they can sometimes correlate, it’s not uncommon for a team to play poorly and have a player from the same club score positive fantasy points.

The Ravens had a few players in 2020 perform well in fantasy. In 2021, I project more players from the depth chart to make an impact in fantasy football.

Here are four players who will have the best fantasy season for Baltimore.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

As if it wasn’t already obvious, quarterback Lamar Jackson is the best player on the team. Jackson is no stranger to shattering records and is considered one of the best rushing quarterbacks to ever play football.

His incredible play on the gridiron shows up on fantasy platforms.

In 2020, despite regressing from his 2019 NFL MVP form, Jackson was able to put up numbers, mostly due to his ability to create sensational runs anywhere on the field.

Jackson finished at No. 10 for fantasy quarterbacks in 2020. He finished the season with 341.78 points averaging 22.79 points per game. Jackson may have finished higher on the list if he had not missed Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to COVID-19.

The Ravens are not going to stop running the ball anytime soon and that’s where Jackson excels in this offense. The passing attack has also improved over the offseason.

The latest addition of wide receiver Sammy Watkins in free agency and Rashod Bateman in the 2021 NFL Draft are much-needed weapons to line up with fellow receiver Marquise Brown and Jackson’s favorite tight end target, Mark Andrews.

Despite the loss of Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens upgraded by adding former Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva to the offensive line.

Baltimore should also have left tackle Ronnie Stanley returning from a season-ending left ankle injury by the start of training camp.

The added talent to the offensive line and wide receiver group will allow Jackson to improve in the passing game while continuing to find success running the ball.

Projected fantasy points: 383.62

2. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

It was difficult to find a successful tight end for fantasy in 2020. The top four to finish the position in 2020 were the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, the Las Vegas Raiders Darren Waller, the Green Bay Packers’ Robert Tonyan, and the Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews.

Jackson often likes to throw to his playmaker tight ends on routine passing plays. It’s evident that Mark Andrews is Jackson’s favorite weapon at the position.

Like Jackson, Andrews also regressed at his position. In 2019, Andrews had 143.2 fantasy points and finished second overall in points at tight end. During the 2020 season, despite finishing in fourth place, Andrews had 112.1 points.

The bar for tight ends is set high in the NFL. Aside from his rookie year in 2018, Andrews has been in the top-five for fantasy points at his position. He will only continue to grow and build from the success of his quarterback.

The signing of Villanueva and the return of Stanley at left tackle will give Jackson plenty of time in the pocket to find Andrews on routes. Andrews’ mouth should be salivating for the upcoming season.

Projected fantasy stats: 148.2

3. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are known for a high-powered rushing attack. Behind Jackson, the next best runner on the team is running back J.K. Dobbins.

Dobbins had a remarkable rookie season emerging as the primary back in the Ravens’ rotation. During his rookie campaign, Dobbins finished the regular season third in rookie rushing yards with 805.

That’s not the only feat the sensational running back managed last season. Dobbins also set the Ravens’ rookie rushing touchdown record previously held by the great Jamal Lewis (six).

Dobbins would move ahead of the franchise record for total touchdowns as a rookie (nine) surpassing Marquise Brown (seven) and Torrey Smith (seven).

In 2020, Dobbins finished his fantasy season with 150.5 points, 17th among running backs. With Mark Ingram no longer on the team, this backfield is mostly Dobbins for the taking. I project around 60 percent of the snaps going to Dobbins while 40 percent go to Gus Edwards.

While we only have one season on Dobbins, there is hope that he will build off his rookie campaign and become one of the great running backs this team has had.

Projected fantasy points: 189.6

4. Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

I know, I know, this is not an exciting option for most. But I believe rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman will prove many critics wrong that a receiver in this Ravens’ offense can be valuable for fantasy.

While we only have his collegiate career stats to look at, Bateman showed traits in college that made his future in the NFL look promising.

He got open consistently, got good separation, and adjusted his body in the air to make plays on the football. Bateman is also able to secure the ball and make it look effortless doing so.

Bateman’s breakout season came in 2019. During that season he had 1,219 receiving yards on 60 receptions and 11 touchdowns. His stellar 2019 would not be an encore in 2020 after he chose to opt-out after five games to focus on the NFL Draft.

In the five games he played in 2020, Bateman caught 36 passes for 472 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bateman finished his collegiate athletic career with 2,395 receiving yards on 147 receptions and nine touchdowns in three seasons.

Despite the Ravens being a run-heavy offense, they have the second-toughest strength of schedule and will be forced to throw the ball.

With Brown getting a lot of attention for his speed and Andrews being one of the most proficient tight ends in the league, Bateman could receive a ton of targets.

Projected fantasy points: 135.9