Should fantasy football managers be confident in the London game when it comes to their Week 6 matchup? The Baltimore Ravens’ fantasy preview revolves around a star receiver, while the Tennessee Titans’ fantasy outlook is focused on the sustainability of what they did last week.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans (London)
- Spread: Ravens -4.5
- Total: 40.5
- Ravens implied points: 22.5
- Titans implied points: 18
Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson: After three straight games scoring north of 22 fantasy points, Jackson was held under 10 points against the Steelers. He turned the ball over twice and didn’t account for a score.
The raw numbers underwhelmed in a major way, but I’m not worried about it. The matchup against the Titans is pristine when it comes to passing, and with 55.3% of his targets last week going to his clear top two options in Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, Jackson is in a good spot to take advantage.
There is no denying that there is a downside to fear (no touchdown passes in three of five games), though the upside far outweighs that. Subsequently, I have Jackson as my QB4.
Ryan Tannehill: We are into the middle of October, and Tannehill still has yet to throw a touchdown pass in consecutive games.
Sure, he threw for a season-best 264 yards and recorded his longest rush of the season (13 yards), but this offense simply isn’t built for him to matter to us.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Tannehill is an underwhelming two-QB league option at best and firmly off the radar for standard-leaguers who are looking for depth at the position.
Running Backs
Gus Edwards: We have a full-time committee on our hands, and Edwards’ lack of versatility lands him outside of my top 30 at the position. I still think he leads this backfield in carries, and that requires him to remain rostered — but not started.
In four of five games this season, Edwards has 12 or fewer carries without a single target. That’s not the profile of someone who matters in standard-sized leagues, especially with just one score on his 58 touches this season.
Justice Hill: Hill held a 39-30 snap edge to Edwards in Week 5 and was the clear option when Baltimore was in its two-minute offense. He scored a 14-yard touchdown against the Steelers, though it is worth noting that Edwards was largely responsible for getting him there.
And that’s the problem. This is a backfield that is going to be as even as it gets. They are splitting possessions, making it impossible to even project where the red zone usage is going. In this specific matchup, I prefer Hill, but that will very much be a moving target that requires weekly re-evaluation.
Derrick Henry: Through five weeks, Henry has been held under 65 rushing yards three times and has averaged under 3.5 yards per carry in three of his past four games. At this point, his stock is fully dependent on the game script. Per the Week 6 Cheat Sheet:
- Wins (two): 23.5 carries per game with two touchdowns
- Losses (three): 13 carries per game with zero touchdowns
With a little more touch on a pass, he could have given you another 4.5 fantasy points last week, but if we are at the point where we need Henry’s arm to provide value, it’s a problem.
Baltimore is more than a field goal favorite on the road, a suggestion that this could be a trouble spot for Henry. He’s still a fantasy starter, but Henry is outside of my top 10 this week.
Tyjae Spears: His dynamic skill set was on display when he found the end zone on a 19-yard reverse, turning his 11 touches into 69 yards during an impressive showing.
The rookie continues to compete with Henry when it comes to snaps and holds a weekly edge in routes run.
As encouraging as it is to see him on the field, this offense simply isn’t strong enough to support multiple backs. Dynasty managers can be encouraged for the future, while redraft managers are left with an asset they cannot do much with.
Wide Receivers
Zay Flowers: The talented rookie has yet to finish better than WR20 this season (three finishes outside of the top 40), but he is so close.
MORE: NFL Bye Weeks Schedule 2023
He set a career-high with 11 targets last week in Pittsburgh, and if not for a drop that negated a 20+ yard gain or a misstep that robbed him of a potential 75-yard touchdown, we are talking about a rise to stardom.
League average separation: 2.94 yards
Zay Flowers average separation: 3.91 yards
Mark Andrews average separation: 3.6 yards pic.twitter.com/GgeBWrkn9Q
— Ravens Nation LIVE (@LIVERavenNation) October 11, 2023
That breakout could be coming against a defense that allows 7.4 yards per pass (27th in the NFL). It is clear that Jackson is confident in his top receiver, and with a quick-hitting role that is expanding with time, this is an asset to acquire before the inevitable monster game.
Odell Beckham Jr.: Don’t fall into the trap of chasing the name value now that OBJ is back on the field. He has yet to earn more than four targets in a game this season, and his one long reception has accounted for 36.7% of his yards for the year.
Rashod Bateman: There isn’t any need to chase the second receiver in this offense. Bateman saw the first target of the game, and that was his only reception. He dropped an easy target in the end zone, but even had he come down with it, the lack of volume and per-target upside simply isn’t there in this passing game for a non-Flowers or Andrews option.
DeAndre Hopkins: Don’t look now, but Nuk’s receiving yardage has increased in three straight games, and he has a 30-yard reception in consecutive contests (he didn’t have a 30-yard catch in his six games prior).
It’s pretty clear that the talent is still there, and his eight-catch, 140-yard performance was plenty useful, though I caution against getting too excited. Heading into Week 5, Hopkins was averaging under a fantasy point per target, a downside that doesn’t just evaporate after one week.
Hopkins is a viable Flex play — not a lineup lock — after the big game. I don’t mind the idea of selling the future Hall of Famer, understanding that he will project well just once over the next four weeks (vs. BAL, bye, vs. ATL, at PIT).
Treylon Burks: The talented receiver is dealing with an LCL sprain to the same knee that cost him time this summer.
MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings
He hasn’t been practicing much this season and could be inactive again this weekend with Tennessee heading into their bye after they return from London.
He is a hold in dynasty formats and someone who doesn’t need to be rostered in standard-sized leagues.
Tight Ends
Mark Andrews: He remains among the elite at the position and set season-highs in catches (six) and targets (10) against the Steelers. The target volume (he had a total of 10 targets in his two games prior) has him as the favorite to lead the position in fantasy points this season should Travis Kelce miss significant time.
Chigoziem Okonkwo: It was a weird game for the Titans (more completions than rush attempts) and that resulted in nine targets coming his way (Weeks 1-4: 11 targets). Sadly, he turned those targets into just 33 yards, further proof that he isn’t in a position to matter for us.
If this level of involvement is sustained with time, Okonkwo could be a late-season streamer. There’s just no need to hold on and hope for that.
Should You Start Gus Edwards or Emari Demercado?
If I can get away without starting either of these backs, I’m doing it. If not, I prefer Demercado and his slightly more favorable matchup in a similarly crowded backfield. The lack of versatility from Edwards combined with Lamar Jackson’s ability to punch in short scores is enough to have me fading the Ravens’ backfield in any close call.
Should You Start DeAndre Hopkins or Gabe Davis?
To be clear, I don’t think either is as good as what we saw last week. Hopkins’ targets aren’t going to be as valuable as they were in Week 5, and Davis’ target count isn’t consistently going to hold.
With that said, for me, this is more a bet on which offense is more likely to put their receiver in a spot to pay off for fantasy managers. In a situation like that, this isn’t close. The Bills are projected to score 11 more points than the Titans this week, giving Davis the edge by a decent amount.