The Baltimore Ravens' hiring of Declan Doyle as their new offensive coordinator this offseason stood out for more reasons than one. His potential impact on star wide receiver Zay Flowers' fantasy football outlook for 2026 has somehow flown under the radar, though.
Many are focused on Doyle's age (turned 30 on March 6) and lack of play-calling experience, and understandably so. Only 10 months separate him from Ravens franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Be that as it may, Doyle's arrival in Baltimore shouldn't be discounted following his lone season with the Chicago Bears in the same role. He deploys a scheme that emphasizes a downfield attack, which should yield more explosives for Flowers, and the numbers bear that out (pun intended).Â
Fresh off posting the seventh-most receiving yards in the NFL and securing a lucrative long-term contract extension, Flowers is poised to hit another gear with Doyle. Follow the money: Baltimore just gave us 140 million reasons to bet on continued growth.
With a current consensus WR15 average draft position (ADP), Flowers has the makings of a potential value pick. Building on his 14.3 weekly scoring average in point-per-reception (PPR) formats and overall WR12 finish might sound arduous, but it's well within the range of outcomes. The Boston College product is both a safer option than other guys in his range and has untapped upside that could be realized in Doyle's offense.
Ravens OC Declan Doyle might unlock Zay Flowers’ fantasy WR1 ceiling
Between the off-field concerns and injuries, can managers trust the Kansas City Chiefs' Rashee Rice, who's going a full round ahead of Flowers? What about the New York Giants' Malik Nabers coming off a torn ACL and meniscus that required two surgeries? DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles hasn't functioned as a true alpha in the pros, and questions about his team's ecosystem loom large.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was one of the most willing and productive gunslingers in football last season. He tallied the third-most completions on throws that traveled 20-plus air yards (39) and ranked fifth in yards (1,119). His 94 attempts in those situations trailed only the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.Â
While the 5-foot-9, 183-pound Flowers has firmly established himself as one of the league’s premier slot weapons, there is more to his game. His well-rounded playmaking abilities have improved annually despite a relative lack of volume compared to other teams' WR1s. The two-time Pro Bowler will be running plays and routes he admittedly had “never seen” before under Doyle's tutelage.
What if Flowers, who was 81st in average depth of target, AKA aDOT, among 122 WRs in 2025 (minimum 25 targets), saw more deep looks? Perhaps the 2023 first-round selection can get more high-value opportunities, too, specifically when the Ravens are within striking distance of the goal line. He was only targeted on 19.2 percent of Baltimore’s passes inside the 20, a notably lower rate than several of the top wideouts in the business. Â
However, good things typically happened when the Ravens did look to air it out to Flowers this past campaign. He led all receivers with at least 10 20-plus-yard targets in yards per route run (20.71). His 8.5 yards after catch per reception was also good for seventh using the same filter.
Not only does Flowers stand to benefit from Doyle's presence, but an uptick in passing will surely help matters. Baltimore recorded an astonishingly low 24.8 pass attempts per contest last year, the second-fewest of the past decade (h/t John Daigle of Establish The Run).
Note: Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ premium stats ($) and include the playoffs.
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