Baltimore took a collective sigh of relief on April 27th, but not because of the NFL Draft. Lamar Jackson broke the internet on draft day, with the news dropping that he agreed to a long-term deal with the Baltimore Ravens. On top of this, the Ravens made plenty of additions with personnel, and position players. With plenty of new faces in Charm City, let’s take a look at the Baltimore Ravens’ fantasy outlook.

New Look Offense

Stale is the most appropriate way to define the Ravens’ 2022 offense. In a Greg Roman-led offense the Ravens were elementary and just downright predictable. That looks to all change in 2023. The Ravens bring in Todd Monken, former University of Georgia Offensive Coordinator to take over play-calling duties. The birds of Baltimore did not stop there. Through free agency, Odell Beckham Jr. looks to reenergize his career after signing a one-year deal. Continuing to add weapons, they used the 24th overall pick to draft Zay Flowers, WR from Boston College. Throw in supporting cast member Nelson Agholor and this wide receiver room got a complete makeover. That’s a lot of new talent on top of the already-established J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and of course, Mark Andrews. The Ravens now have plenty of options on offense. Which leads fantasy managers wondering, who will get fed the most?

New Scheme

Pass Catchers

It is no longer just the Mark Andrews show in Baltimore. The Ravens spent plenty of capital investing in some more playmakers for Lamar. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Andrews still leads the team in receiving, but look for other players to slightly eat into his workload. Regardless, Andrews should finish no lower than a top three TE, and will remain the favorite red zone target for this Ravens offense.

With the exception of inking Lamar Jackson, Charm City’s new OC is the most important addition this off-season. For the first time in Lamar Jackson’s young career, he will have the chance to take full reign over a professional-style offense. Under Greg Roman’s tenure, Jackson was unable to call audibles or hot routes at the line of scrimmage. This led to failed plays and inefficient drives. Monken’s game plan will add some much-needed diversity and creativity to the offense. This new scheme should highlight all the strengths of Lamar Jackson’s player profile. Creative pass options with windows for Jackson’s elite speed and athleticism will be at the forefront of every play. Ravens fans should see the best version of “Lamarvelous” in 2023. Expect Lamar to return to form as a top-five fantasy option at quarterback.

The wide receiver room got a much-needed makeover. Rashod Bateman showed glimmers of fantasy upside last year, but injuries have plagued his young career. Even with the additions of OBJ and Zay Flowers, Bateman should still be the WR2 on this depth chart. OBJ should take over as WR1 and Flowers will look to be a “jack of all trades” type of asset in this offense. I can see Baltimore riding the hot hand and playing the matchup game week to week. With that being said, Odell should have the most consistent fantasy season and finish as a WR2. Flowers will look to serve as a weekly boom or bust candidate but has the highest ceiling. Bateman finds himself stuck somewhere in the middle as a high-floor, low-ceiling FLEX.

Backfield

This offseason has been nothing short of dramatic for the Ravens. After the Lamar fiasco, J.K. Dobbins has shown public frustration with the team that took him 55th overall in 2020. He even went as far as to sit out mandatory mini-camp because of the contract situation. If Dobbins suits up, this would be the best scheme of his young career. It all comes down to workload for his fantasy aspirations. Dobbins is a sneaky high-value RB2 if he gets the volume he desperately desires.

Assuming that Dobbins holds out, Gus Edwards would immediately slot into the RB1 for this Baltimore backfield. Edwards has proven that he is a more than capable back in the NFL, and a 1,000-yard season should be expected if he stays healthy. This gives him great value for fantasy managers and could be a high ceiling, top-24 fantasy back if Dobbins does not play. Edwards is certainly worth a bench stash in all formats. Justice Hill rounds out the backfield as the third RB on the depth chart. He is nothing more than a waiver wire warrior if his number were ever to be called for real playing time.

Birds are Back

Ravens fans are fueled with optimism for the 2023 season. Their roster is solid on both sides of the ball, and a new Offensive Coordinator should provide the spark they desperately need on offense. Having a great roster does not always result in fantasy production. There are now a lot of mouths to feed in Charm City, and an air of unknown surrounds how they plan to utilize their new weapons. Rest assured, Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews will still be top playmakers on this team. Look for the wideouts to be serviceable fantasy assets, but don’t expect them to help win your league. Overall, the Baltimore Ravens’ fantasy outlook is the brightest it’s been in a long time.

About the Author

Paul Orlando is a die-hard Ravens and Orioles fan and a fantasy football junkie. Paul is co-host of The Eye Test: A Fantasy Football Podcast on Youtube and has recently begun writing for Belly Up Sports. He gives expert advice in both Dynasty and Redraft settings, and loves finding the sleepers no one else talks about. Find all things fantasy football on Belly Up Fantasy Sports.