Ravens vs. Panthers
Ravens
Will Joe Flacco be anything other than mediocre?
Mediocre is basically all that Joe Flacco has been so far this year. He’s surpassed 20 fantasy points just twice (and barely) and hasn’t been terrible, but not good either. This week, he goes up against a Panthers secondary that’s giving up an average of 17.9 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. I could easily see this being another sub-20-point game for Flacco, making him little more than a QB2.
Will the receivers still produce?
I expect that, even if Flacco has a mediocre game, we could still see a good game from the Ravens’ receivers. So far, John Brown has been excellent, and he has himself a decent matchup against Donte Jackson this week, so I think he could be a low-end WR2 with obviously explosive potential. As for Michael Crabtree, he’s got an even nicer matchup against James Bradberry this week, who will likely shadow him. Usually Crabtree has a size advantage on his corners, he doesn’t have that this week as Bradberry is almost exactly the same height and weight as Crabtree, but Bradberry has been fairly mediocre in coverage so far this year, so I could see Crabtree putting up some decent numbers. Willie Snead will likely see Captain Munnerlyn, which should be a fairly even matchup. Snead obviously has the potential for a great game, but his involvement in the passing attack is pretty volatile, so he’s hard to trust.
Will we see a good Alex Collins game?
I certainly hope so. The Ravens seem to have learned that, if you give Alex Collins the ball consistently, he’ll succeed. Here’s the problem though—the Panthers have a good run defense. They’re averaging just 19.1 fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs so far, seventh-best in the league, and Collins hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire. As a result, I’ve got Collins as a low-end RB2, however he’s someone I’m buying low on, as his schedule in the latter-half of the season is a lot easier. As for Javorius Allen, he’s a decent, albeit risky, flex play in PPR leagues, as he’ll likely remain involved in the passing game.
Will we see any clarity at the tight end position?
I doubt it. The Ravens have been using Hayden Hurst, Mark Andrews, and Nick Boyle all fairly evenly. I’d like to see Hurst involved more, and they’ve said they want to involve him more, but I have to see it to believe it.
Predictions:
Boom: John Brown
Bust: Alex Collins
Sleeper: Willie Snead
-Ben Palmer
Panthers
Will McCaffrey finish with under 30 rushing yards for the third consecutive week?
RB Christian McCaffrey has limited rushing opportunities lately with the Panthers falling behind early two straight weeks. The Ravens defense presents a different issue for CMC’s rushing yards total, as they’re currently ranked as the #4 rushing defense. His usage in the passing game has kept him relevant in PPR leagues, but the Ravens also rank #3 when matching up against running backs in the passing game. Despite this tough matchup, I think McCaffrey will at least exceed 30 rushing yards, but I would expect him to finish as an RB2 this week.
Will Cam continue to look like an MVP candidate?
QB Cam Newton was limited at practice this week, but he has not appeared on the team’s injury report and Ron Rivera has stated there’s no doubt Newton will play. With the concerns being about his right shoulder, Newton may have a tougher time against the #6 pass defense. The team is also without one of their burners, as WR Torrey Smith is out due to a knee injury, which means there should be an uptick in targets for either WR Curtis Samuel or WR D.J. Moore. Regardless, the only receiver I would be confident in starting is WR Devin Funchess.
Any concern for the defense?
The Panthers have done well at limiting the rushing production of their opponents, so the Ravens’ #22 rushing offense should not pose a problem for LB Luke Kuechly and the crew. If the Ravens struggle to establish the run game, then the Panthers should be in a better position to contain the Ravens’ surprisingly strong passing attack.
BOOM: WR Devin Funchess
BUST: TE Greg Olsen
SLEEPER: WR D.J. Moore
-Alex Drennan