Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 15th, 2024, 1:00 ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Network: CBS
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew: Sit, QB3
Minshew falls outside my top 30 Quarterbacks. There’s no fixing the Raiders in 2024, and I would not be surprised to see Aidan O’Connell get some run this week if the Ravens’ defense continues to wreak havoc for opposing offenses.
Running Back
Zamir White: Sit, RB4
Alexander Mattison: Sit, RB5
White should continue to lead the early touches for the Raiders, which can provide him with some deep FLEX appeal. The issue for White is exactly what we were worried about in the offseason: he is very limited when it comes to the passing game (2 targets for 2 yards in Week 1). Alexander Mattison will always take those reps and will even take some of the work between the tackles as well. The ceiling is capped for both White and Mattison even before you consider the opponent. The Ravens are one of the most impressive defenses in the NFL; after a tough loss to the Chiefs in Week 1, you can expect them to post some strong numbers against the Raiders. That is bad news for White’s managers. If you have to start him, temper expectations; otherwise, it is a great week to look elsewhere.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams: Start, WR3
Jakobi Meyers: Sit, WR5
Davante Adams’ letdown season has officially begun. The quarterback play is just abysmal for the Raiders. He saw 6 targets in Week 1 but was not able to do much with them. You should expect similar production and no trip to the end zone in Week 2 against a Ravens defense that can hold virtually every quarterback not named Patrick Mahomes to a bottom-of-the-league performance. Not only that, but the target leader for the Raiders was not Adams; it was rookie Brock Bowers, a trend I would expect to continue in Week 2.
Tight End
Brock Bowers: Start, TE1
Brock Bowers led the Raiders in targets in Week 1 with a 24% target share. I expect this trend to continue in Week 2, but the results may not be as good. The Ravens’ defense is much better at every level of the field than the Chargers, which could be a challenge for the rookie pass catcher. I would like to see Bowers see a 75% snap share so that he can find himself in the TE1 range regularly, but this week, he should be able to sneak into that tier (TE9) on volume. Aidan O’Connell may get into the game this week, and if he does, that may be a baby step forward for Bowers.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: Start, QB1
In Week 1, Lamar Jackson threw the ball 41 times and ran the ball 16 times, giving us the patented RB1 + QB production that we have grown accustomed to. He posted 122 yards on the ground and 273 passing yards. The Ravens’ offensive line was not great, and they were throwing the ball primarily to the short areas of the field. Against a Raiders pass rush that looks to be improved, Lamar should post similar numbers to Week 1. He may have more luck in the touchdown department, as he missed two chances late in the game. The good news for Lamar is that he now has not only Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, but Isaiah Likely has joined the party and looks to be a bonafide stud.
Running Back
Derrick Henry: Start, RB1
Justice Hill: Sit, RB5
Derrick Henry’s managers are very grateful for his early touchdown in Week 1. After that, it got ugly, with Henry only seeing 46% of the snaps. My message for Henry owners: DO NOT PANIC. While Henry is no longer a 300+ touch player, he is poised to have a much better Week 2. Henry is historically one of the most game-script-dependent players in the NFL. He should be able to bounce back in a big way against a Raiders run defense in the bottom half of the league in Week 1. The Ravens should have this game all but wrapped up in the first half, which bodes well for Henry. He is my RB5 this week. Justice Hill may have out-snapped Henry in Week 1, but that is mainly due to the Ravens playing catchup. He had nine opportunities and will continue to fill the passing down work for the team. I don’t see the Ravens needing to play catchup much in this one, and Hill should be riding the bench for managers.
Wide Receiver
Zay Flowers: Start, WR3
Rashod Bateman: Sit
Zay Flowers is a fine FLEX player in Full PPR leagues because he was able to earn a 24% target share. The issue with Flowers and the Ravens’ offense as a whole was his 6.1 aDOT (average depth of target). He will need to improve here if he wants to take the next step for fantasy football purposes but I do not see that happening in Week 2. The volume will be there to give him a nice floor but don’t expect him to see a ton of high-leverage targets, as those will more than likely go to Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
Tight End
Isaiah Likely: Start, TE1
Mark Andrews: Start, TE1
Two things to note about the Ravens’ Tight Ends: first, Mark Andrews is not dead, and second, Isaiah is likely the more versatile and explosive player. I have both Likely and Andrews as TE1s this week: Likely is my TE4, and Andrews is my TE11. If you won the Likely Sweepstakes, you will be rolling him out there with confidence until you are told otherwise. I would not be surprised if Likely already had the best game of his season, but that does not mean he can’t remain an elite option at the position. Likely could be more of the Pseudo WR1 for this team, allowing Flowers to populate the short area of the field while the tight end spends more time running the intermediate routes. Andrews is still a nice safety net for Lamar when the offensive line struggles and that is why, even after a down game, he should find success against the Raiders this week. Both Tight Ends are red-zone threats, much more so than Flowers. If you already have a solid Tight End option, don’t be afraid to FLEX Likely this week.