Thursday, November 21, 2024

Fantasy Football

Ceilings and Floors: Baltimore Ravens

 

This is the fifth of 32 Ceilings and Floors, covering each NFL team’s QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs. We now move on to the AFC North, with The Baltimore Ravens. In case you missed it, here is the breakdown for the New York Jets. (Depth Charts courtesy of footballguys.com)

Ceilings and Floors: Quarterback

QB1: Lamar Jackson

CEILING: Lamar Jackson builds upon last year’s MVP performance, accounting for 50 combined TDs, throwing for 4,000 yards passing, and rushing for another 1,200 yards. He wins MVP again, and pushes Patrick Mahomes for QB Supremacy in the league.

FLOOR: Defenses have a year to figure out how to stop Lamar, and his ascension is stalled. He manages 30 total TDs, 2,900 yards passing, and 700 rushing. People begin labeling him as a one year wonder, and Baltimore looks to add QB depth in the 2021 draft.

PREDICTION: Lamar Jackson, if healthy, continues to put defenses in a bind. He produces 40 total TDs, along with 3,500 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing. Honestly, durability is my biggest concern, as I do expect them to run him like they did last year. The threat of his legs make him a legitimate fantasy superstar.

QB2: Robert Griffin III

CEILING: Lamar goes down in the preseason, and Griffin fills in capably, amassing 30 total TDs, 3,000 yards passing, in addition to 600 yards rushing. A starting opportunity presents itself in 2021.

FLOOR: Lamar Jackson stays healthy, leaving Griffin irrelevant in all fantasy formats.

PREDICTION: I am concerned about how Jackson is used, but Griffin is as optimal a backup as Baltimore will find at his price point. He makes a ton of sense as a Lamar handcuff, because he has shown the ability to produce in the past.

QB3: Trace McSorley

CEILING: Both Lamar and RG3 get hurt, handing McSorley the keys to a potent offense. However, he plays as a placeholder only, and underwhelms in fantasy.

FLOOR: He wears street clothes every week.

PREDICTION: I sincerely doubt McSorley possesses anything resembling fantasy relevance, no matter the scenario.

Ceilings and Floors: Running Back

RB1: Mark Ingram

CEILING: Baltimore continues utilizing Ingram as RB1, and he produces another excellent season. He has 15 total TDs, 1,200 total yards, and weekly super bowl predictions much to the delight of the Baltimore media.

FLOOR: He gets old really quick, Dobbins and the other young backs eat at his touches, and he is cut after the season to make room for Lamar Jackson’s upcoming massive extension. He still manages 6 TDs and 700 total yards.

PREDICTION: Ingram is teetering on the edge of prime and post-prime. His low usage rate early in his career has extended his relevance into his age 30 season. I expect 10 total TDs, 900 total yards, as he begins ceding some touches to Dobbins.

RB2: J.K. Dobbins

CEILING: Dobbins explodes into the NFL, moving Ingram to RB2, and lights the league on fire to the tune of 16 total TDs to go along with his 1,500 all-purpose yards. He enters the 2021 season as a surefire fantasy star.

FLOOR: Ingram blocks his growth, he is used sparingly, and he finishes with a pedestrian 4 TDs to go with his 700 all-purpose yards.

PREDICTION: Dobbins ceiling is very high, but I don’t see Ingram just falling off a cliff. I can see a committee approach lowering his season totals to 6 TDs, to go with 800 yards. His future is bright.

RB3: Gus Edwards

CEILING: One of the aforementioned backs goes down, Edwards holds the RB3 spot, and produces a modest 4 TD, 500 yard season as a second option in Baltimore’s potent rush attack.

FLOOR: Edwards falls to RB4, becoming a Special Teams contributor, nothing more.

PREDICTION: This guy can play, as evidenced by back-to-back 700+ yard seasons without every starting more than 6 games. He is useful as a handcuff for the other two only.

RB4: Justice Hill

CEILING: He wins the RB3 spot, and produces similarly to Edwards if one of the two featured backs goes down.

FLOOR: Special teams aficionado.

PREDICTION: Baltimore has a bunch of talent at RB, along with a QB who topped 1,200 yards rushing in 2019. Unless his situation changes, Hill will have to wait for a new opportunity to show us what he can do.

Ceilings and Floors: Wide Receiver

WR1: Marquise Brown

CEILING: Brown, now fully recovered from a Lisfranc foot surgery he underwent at the end of his college career, erupts for 1,200 yards receiving and 12 TDs.

FLOOR: “Hollywood” looks the same as he did last year, and again produces serviceable numbers of 600 yards receiving and 7 TDs. He then produces a documentary about himself called, “Once Upon a Time, with Hollywood”, where he reads bedtime stories to Baltimore children.

PREDICTION: As much as I would love that documentary, I expect Brown will have a pretty good year being the top WR in an explosive offense. Speed still kills. 1,000 yards, along with 9 TDs, seems entirely doable.

WR2: Miles Boykin

CEILING: Boykin continues improving in year 2, and his size makes him a legitimate red zone threat. 700 yards, 9 TDs, and new clothing line called “Miles Styles” becomes a sensation in Baltimore.

FLOOR: Boykin does not improve, or Lamar regresses, leaving Boykin on the outside looking in. 3 TDs, 350 yards receiving, and local meat markets offer half-off for their “Oinkin’ Boykin”. Spoiler Alert, it’s just bacon. Not too shabby when your low includes bacon.

PREDICTION: Boykin was outperformed in the red zone by Baltimore’s excellent TEs, but I could see a 500 yard, 6 TD line in store for 2020.

WR3: Willie Snead

CEILING: 600 yards receiving, 5 TDs. Stop laughing, Snead has had a few decent years.

FLOOR: Falls way down the depth chart, and offers little in terms of fantasy or NFL performance.

PREDICTION: I like the young WR’s Baltimore added this offseason, and project Snead fades from our memory before Week 8.

WR4: Devin Duvernay

CEILING: 1,000 yards, 8 TDs, and WR2 status. This kid can really fly.

FLOOR: 200 yards, 0 TD, and doesn’t really see the field as the WR4.

PREDICTION: Sneaky value here, as Snead won’t hold Duvernay back for long. As I said, speed kills. And Duvernay can run with the best of them.

WR5: Chris Moore, WR6: Jaleel Scott

CEILING: Fifth WR for the Ravens.

FLOOR: Pinch runners for the Baltimore Orioles.

PREDICTION: They aren’t playing unless injuries ravage the receiving corps.

WR7: James Proche

CEILING: This guy has WR3 potential for the Ravens. 6 TDs and 700 yards. If you don’t know, now you know.

FLOOR: He is stuck behind Snead for 2020, recording negligible fantasy stats.

PREDICTION: James Proche is going to be a player in this league. If you can snag him in dynasty at the right price, do it. I see a Brown, Duvernay, Proche trio in 2021.

Ceilings and Floors: Tight End

TE1: Mark Andrews

CEILING: The ceiling is very high for Andrews who is coming off a dominant 2019 fantasy season. 1100 yards, 13 TDs, and a fat contract extension.

FLOOR: Injury is the only way I see him producing less than 5 TDs and 500 yards. He is about as safe as TEs get.

PREDICTION: Lamar Jackson loved Andrews in 2019, and I can’t see that changing, especially in the TD department. Marky Mark might be the guy to own in this funky bunch, and 9 TDs to go along with 900 yards will delight fantasy owners.

TE2: Nick Boyle

CEILING: 7 TDs, 500 yards, and fantasy relevance are all possible. Baltimore loves their Tight Ends

FLOOR: Boyle is used once again primarily as a blocker, and he replicates his 2019 numbers of 321 yards and 2 TDs.

PREDICTION: Nick Boyle is a good blocker. I expect them to use him similarly this year, albeit with a few more touches. 400 yards, 3 TDs.

TE3: Jacob Breeland

CEILING: Takes over as the second most productive TE for Baltimore, recording 4 TDs along with 500 yards receiving.

FLOOR: Remains the third TE, has 200 yards and 0 TDs

PREDICTION: Somewhere in between his ceiling and floor. 300 yards receiving, 2 TDs, and insurance in case of an Andrews injury.

Enjoy this article? Follow me on Twitter to get updates when new content is released @realryanhicks, including the rest of my Ceilings and Floors. Up next is the Cincinnati Bengals. Also check out what else Belly Up Fantasy is cooking up, and follow @BellyUpFantasy for all your Fantasy Sports needs.