Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 11 at 1:00 PM ET
Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Betting Odds: BAL +2.5, 37 Total on Oddshark
Network: CBS
Writer: Drew DeLuca (@DrewDeLaware on Twitter)
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Tyler Huntley (Sit, QB2)
Lamar Jackson sustained a PCL injury last week, opening the door for Tyler Huntley, a coveted waiver wire addition in superflex leagues this week. When given opportunities, Huntley’s passing production has left much to be desired, but his ground game is strong: he ran for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos defense last week and has topped 40 or more yards in each of his last six games, dating back to last year. Due to this high floor, we see Huntley as a high-end QB2 this week. However, we would likely stream someone else in single QB leagues.
Running Backs
JK Dobbins (*Start, FLEX), Kenyan Drake (Start, FLEX), Gus Edwards (Start, FLEX*), Justice Hill (Sit), Mike Davis (Sit), Patrick Ricard (Sit)
The Ravens had no qualms about giving Gus Edwards a heavy workload in his first game back from major injury back in Week 7 when the team piled 16 carries on him. This bodes well for the prospects of JK Dobbins, should he be cleared to play in Week 14. We don’t expect Dobbins to suddenly appear in top shape and produce high-end numbers, but he could very well be productive if given the opportunity.
Kenyan Drake actually out-snapped Edwards last week, muddying up the backfield waters just as they started to clear. Justice Hill, Mike Davis, and Patrick Ricard remain non-factors and none see enough volume to offer value in traditional 12-team PPR leagues. Given the large number of teams on bye this week, it might make sense for fantasy managers to flex one or more of these options. Give Dobbins the nod if he dresses; consider Edwards or Drake should he not suit up.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Devin Duvernay (Sit), DeMarcus Robinson (Sit), DeSean Jackson (Sit), James Proche (Sit), Tylan Wallace (Sit), Mark Andrews (Start, TE1), Isaiah Likely (Sit), Josh Oliver (Sit)
Devin Duvernay posted his highest snap share of the season (94 percent) last week, yet his finish as the WR53 was less intriguing. The good news: Duvernay reeled in all six of his targets. The bad news: since the start of Week 4, Duvernay has only enjoyed one game in which he either scored a touchdown or exceeded 50 yards of total offense.
DeMarcus Robinson already posted his best week of the season in Week 11 with a 9-128-0 line. However, he has finished no better than WR54 in his two games since. DeSean Jackson, James Proche, and Tylan Wallace should not be appearing in fantasy lineups this week. We can make a case for Duvernay or Robinson as desperation FLEXes, especially in deep leagues.
In the end, Baltimore’s offense continues to revolve around the tight end position. Mark Andrews shows no signs of slowing down and has finished as a Top 12 fantasy tight end in each of his three games. For the third week in a row, Josh Oliver played more snaps than Isaiah Likely. Neither offers any fantasy value unless Andrews goes missing from the lineup.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Kenny Pickett (Sit)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has had his ups and downs since taking over as the full-time starter, with more downs than ups. The good news: Pickett has gone four consecutive weeks without throwing an interception. The bad news: he finished as the QB12 or better only once during that span, and threw for over 200 yards only once during that stretch. Pickett can run a little, but not enough to create a statistical swing in weekly matchups. His best fit on your fantasy team is on your bench, assuming it’s big enough to hold him without costing your team the opportunity to roster better skill position players.
Running Backs
Najee Harris (Start, RB2), Jaylen Warren (Sit), Benny Snell (Sit)
Najee Harris has been one of the bigger disappointments in fantasy football this year, and the Ravens’ defense ranks among the NFL’s five best units in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. This doesn’t appear to be the recipe from which RB1s are made. Harris is playing through an oblique strain while Jaylen Warren battles a hamstring issue. Neither player was kept off the field by their respective ailments last week, but both are likely to see their workloads capped by the other (and perhaps Benny Snell).
In light of the above, Harris profiles as a low-to-mid-tier RB2, assuming he plays. Warren vaults to a similar range in the event Harris can’t go. Snell will be a passable FLEX option if both Harris and Warren are ruled out. If all three are active, Harris is the play; the other two should sit or be kept in reserve.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Diontae Johnson (Start, WR3), George Pickens (Start, WR3), Steven Sims Jr. (Sit), Gunner Olszewski (Sit), Pat Freiermuth (Start, TE1)
Like Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson has underwhelmed this season and has often been overshadowed at times by timely, eyebrow-raising touchdowns and chunk plays from emerging rookie George Pickens. Johnson has yet to catch a touchdown pass in 2022, yet he continues to outpace Pickens in snap share and has drawn more targets in seven of the Steelers’ last eight games. That said, Pickens has been far more electric to date, so some fantasy analysts have him ranked higher at the moment. Either player makes a serviceable WR3 in Week 14, unlike Steven Sims Jr. and Gunner Olszewski, neither of whom offer any value in the fantasy football realm.
The most consistent fantasy option on the Steelers right now is tight end Pat Freiermuth, a sure-fire TE1 this week and every week. The Ravens are a middling defense (18th) in terms of shutting down opposing fantasy tight ends, but Freiermuth has finished as TE10 or better six times so far this year, including two of the last three weeks. His target volume took a precipitous drop of late: he received only nine looks over the past two weeks after being peppered 19 times in the two weeks prior. A less-than-healthy running back room could force the Steelers to make better use of “Muth” this weekend.