The Baltimore Ravens backfield has been a mess since Week 1 of the 2021 season, though the team finally may be getting a reprieve in the form of J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins, who suffered a litany of lower body injuries during the preseason last year, is set to return to the lineup soon. The team has been cautious with Dobbins, but is he playing in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, and how should fantasy football managers prepare?
Is J.K. Dobbins playing today?
Dobbins is officially listed as questionable on Baltimore’s Week 3 injury report. He logged a full week of practice participation, but the same was true last week when the team held him out against the Miami Dolphins. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the outlook is brighter for the third-year back in Week 3, as he’s expected to suit up and be active come game time. We’ll have official confirmation from the team once Baltimore releases its inactives list prior to kickoff.
Dobbins suffered extensive damage to his knee and leg in a preseason game last season. “It wasn’t just a regular ACL. It was pretty bad,” Dobbins explained. “It was ACL, LCL, hamstring, meniscus. So it was tough to get back to where I am right now.”
Returning to the field is obviously a major milestone in what’s been a long recovery for the 2020 second-round pick.
Should fantasy managers start Dobbins in Week 3?
Though Dobbins could be seeing snaps this week, it’d be unwise to rush him into your fantasy football lineups. Given the extent of the injury, Baltimore has played it safe with Dobbins, and that’s not likely to change just because he puts on the pads on Sunday. He’ll likely be eased into the offense over the next couple of weeks.
I expect to see Dobbins in a heavy rotation with veterans Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis. Justice Hill could be mixed into the group as well. Though Dobbins is likely to receive the most touches of the bunch, I’ll be taking a wait-and-see approach before plugging him into my lineups. Once we see that the talented tailback is able to handle a full complement of carries, then we’ll be able to confidently start him on Sundays.