Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, 1:00 PM ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Network: CBS
Writer: Matt Cava (@cavaM_)
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix: Sit, QB2
Have a day, rook. Bo Nix had his best game as a pro in Week 8 against Carolina, completing 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards, three passing touchdowns, as well as one rushing score. He’s kept clean of the ball, not turning it over since Week 6, and on tap this week is another favorable matchup in Baltimore. The Ravens are giving up the third most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season and just allowed Jameis Winston to throw for 334 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Cleveland last week. Even with the deck in his favor, I would be hard-pressed to give Nix a go in a single-QB league, but he’s an intriguing streaming option if you need one.
Running Back
Javonte Williams: Sit
Jaleel McLaughlin: Sit
Just when you thought Javonte Williams might have been turning a corner, he was quiet against a Panthers defense that is allowing the most fantasy points to RBs on the season, turning 17 carries into 44 scoreless yards. The same can ultimately be said for Jaleel McLaughlin, who had his fantasy day saved with a nine-yard reception touchdown; otherwise, he had just eight carries for 47 yards on the ground. Per FantasyData, Williams out-snapped McLaughlin 42 to 23, so this doesn’t appear to be as lopsided a backfield as we may think, but either way, a tough run defense in Baltimore is on tap this week, which doesn’t give much excitement to start either Broncos ‘back.
Wide Receiver
Courtland Sutton: Start, WR2
Troy Franklin: Sit
Devaughn Vele: Sit
It’s no surprise that in a game where Nix threw for 248 yards, Courtland Sutton finally hit 100 yards receiving for the first time this year. He was targeted 11 times and caught eight balls against the Panthers. Look for him to continue to build on that outing against a leaky Ravens secondary that is allowing the second most fantasy points to WRs on the season. Last week, Baltimore gave up 178 total yards and two touchdowns between Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy.
Both Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele are not fantasy-relevant at this time.
Tight End
Adam Trautman: Stream, TE2
Adam Trautman is coming off his best game of the season last week, catching all four of his targets for 85 yards and a score versus Carolina. This was on the heels of Lucas Krull suffering a shoulder injury, and there is a path for him to have success again this week. Baltimore is allowing the fifth most fantasy points to tight ends through eight weeks, and David Njoku just went 5-61 and a touchdown against ’em.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: Start, QB1
Despite the loss to the Browns, Lamar Jackson continued to build on his stellar season, completing 23 of 38 attempts for 289 yards and two touchdowns, adding 46 yards on the ground off eight carries. The visiting Broncos are no slouches on defense, as they rank third in fewest points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, with an average of 13.4 per game per FantasyData. Even so, Jackson is a locked-in QB1, as he enters Week 9 holding a 17:2 passing touchdown to interception ratio.
Running Back
Derrick Henry: Start, RB1
Justice Hill: Sit
Keaton Mitchell: Sit but monitor
Aside from Week 1, last week was Derrick Henry’s most down week of the year, and yet, he still found the end zone from his 11 rushes that totaled 73 yards. He is the overall RB1 on the year, with his 946 rushing yards coming in at 180 more than the next-best in Saquon Barkley’s 766. The Broncos defense is middle of the pack against the run this year, allowing the 19th most fantasy points to the position, but this shouldn’t stop King Henry from asserting his dominance.
Justice Hill is nothing more than a change of pace ‘back while not offering much fantasy power. Keaton Mitchell may be in line to make his season debut after coming off the ACL tear he suffered last season, but for now, he is just a name to keep an eye on.
Wide Receiver
Zay Flowers: FLEX Option, WR3
Diontae Johnson: FLEX Option, WR3
Rashod Bateman: Sit
The Ravens WR room has a newcomer in recently acquired Diontae Johnson from Carolina. He was traded for on Tuesday alongside a 2025 6th-rounder for a 2025 fifth-round pick. While he missed Week 8 with a rib issue, all signs are pointing to him making his Raven debut this week against Denver. Time will tell how both he and Zay Flowers split the target share from Jackson, which is why both shall be considered to fall on the WR3 radar for this week. It also doesn’t help that the Broncos are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to WRs.
Flowers himself is coming off a big Week 8, catching seven of 12 targets for 115 yards. He’s put together a decent season thus far, but managers will want to see him find the end zone more; he’s only done so once this season, all the way back in Week 2.
Rashod Bateman (and Nelson Agholor) appear to be the odd men out with the Johnson acquisition, although it was Bateman who had any fantasy relevancy that now may be stifled some.
Tight End
Mark Andrews: Start, TE1
Is Mark Andrews all the way back? After a puzzling start to the season, Andrews has now scored at least once in three straight games, totaling 143 yards and 12 receptions in that span. Look for him to continue to build on this stable output, as he is averaging at least 4.5 targets per game and 49.5 yards per game since Week 5.
-Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)