Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
- Baker Mayfield: 20/30, 342 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Baker Mayfield, in what felt like a high-pressure, must-win game, put together a great performance. He was not perfect, but was finally able to find open receivers and make plays. The Ravens defense was continuously gashed by Mayfield for key gains, and he managed the game incredibly well as the offense funneled through Nick Chubb. Mayfield held off his critics for another week and worked himself back into fantasy relevance. Unfortunately, many people had probably benched him by this point, but make sure to grab him off waivers if someone panic-dropped him. He gets the 49ers next week coming off a bye. The Niners have been much-improved on defense, so start Baker with caution next week, but he is at least trending in the right direction after this game.
The Ravens’ defensive performance was alarming, as they have allowed 500+ yards in each of the past 2 weeks. Anyone fearful of starting studs against the Ravens should not be scared away in future weeks.
Running Backs
- Nick Chubb: 20 carries, 165 yards, 3 touchdowns | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 18 yards
- Dontrell Hilliard: 6 carries, 27 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 10 yards
Nick Chubb is a monster. The offense ran through Chubb today, and he looked explosive, strong, and decisive. He had an 88-yard touchdown run, caught 3 passes, and found holes consistently against a Ravens defense that had looked stout against the run to start the season. Anyone worried about Chubb due to the Browns’ anemic start to the season breathed a sigh of relief today. With Chubb’s immense talent and volume, he is an every-week, locked-in RB1 each week.
For me, Chubb is not a sell-high candidate this week; the volume he gets presents a weekly floor that will provide security each week for your fantasy lineup. The running back landscape is fantasy is filled with question marks and inconsistency, and Chubb has been the model of consistency so far this season. I view him similarly to Christian McCaffrey; they are both dual-threat workhorses who never come off the field. Kareem Hunt’s eventual return does not worry me because it is clear that the Browns view Chubb as an every-down back. Even if Hunt takes some carries, Chubb will remain on the field for the majority of his snaps and can break a long run every play. Fire him up with confidence each week. Dontrell Hilliard was mixed in, but that was mostly when Chubb needed a breather, or when the game was out of reach.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Odell Beckham, Jr.: 7 targets, 2 receptions, 20 yards
- Jarvis Landry: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 167 yards
- Ricky Seals-Jones: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 82 yards, 1 touchdown
With the Browns’ offense finally looking competent, it was Jarvis Landry who benefited hugely. After turning in some lackluster performances to start the year, Landry exploded this game. If the Browns continue to have solid offensive performances, Landry could be the one who benefits. However, with Odell Beckham, Jr. lining up beside him, it’s hard to predict targets and volume for anyone pass-catcher in this offense. Speaking of Beckham, his lack of connection with Mayfield so far has been mystifying. Beckham has been one of the most electrifying and productive receivers in the league and has performed even when on some terrible offenses. He is still an every-week starter, but he will provide me stress in every league I have him in.
With David Njoku sidelined, Ricky Seals-Jones had a nice game. He caught all his targets and scored Mayfield’s only passing touchdown. Seals-Jones has not shown much in his young career, but he could be worth picking up if you are very thin at the tight end position.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
- Lamar Jackson: 24/34, 247 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions | 9 carries, 66 yards
Lamar Jackson is solidifying himself as a fantasy superstar. Even when his offense is stifled for most of the day, he can have a good performance, mostly due to his rushing prowess. His final stat line looks better than he played; he threw a long touchdown to Willie Snead IV in the closing seconds when the Browns were up 3 scores. Regardless, Jackson is a QB1 most weeks. His rushing ability gives him a weekly floor that is better than most, and his upside is tremendous. The offense didn’t look good at all today, and he still put up 29 fantasy points in 4-point passing TD leagues.
However, if you are in a one-QB league, it may be worth shopping Jackson around to a QB-needy owner for some other pieces. The last 2 weeks have shown us that the Ravens may not be the next great offensive juggernaut. Jackson is a bonafide stud in fantasy, but if you have good backups available and have weaknesses at other positions, it may be worth shopping him around.
Running Backs
- Mark Ingram: 12 carries, 71 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
- Justice Hill: 2 carries, 8 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 9 yards
- Gus Edwards: 6 carries, 28 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
After having a career day last week, Mark Ingram cooled down a little this time around. He was still very efficient on his touches and played the majority of the snaps. However, Ingram is still in a potent offense, and the Ravens seemed to have committed to him as a 3-down workhorse. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill looked good on limited touches, but they are afterthoughts behind Ingram. After many pegged Hill to take over starting duties at some point in the season, it seems very unlikely now barring an Ingram injury. Edwards looks like the handcuff to own in this backfield, and is one of the best handcuffs to own, especially if you are an Ingram owner. The Ravens are a run-first offense and Ingram will remain a mid-RB1 as long as he stays healthy.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Mark Andrews: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 31 yards, 1 touchdown
- Willie Snead IV: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown
- Marquise Brown: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 22 yards
- Miles Boykin: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 touchdown
The Ravens’ pass-catchers struggled today. Mark Andrews salvaged his fantasy day by scoring a touchdown, but was otherwise mostly quiet. Marquise Brown, despite being heavily targeted, was not able to do much with them. If you’re looking for WR help, buying Brown would be a smart move. He’s getting consistently high targets, and all he needs is 1 play to take it to the house. If someone is low on him after back-to-back down weeks, I would see what I could get away with offering. It was encouraging to see rookie Miles Boykin find the end zone, but he is the fourth option at most in an offense that likes to spread the ball around. He’s not worth a pickup.
-Ryan Comeau