The Baltimore Ravens will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Ravens and Chargers skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 12 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Baltimore Ravens Start-Sit Advice
Lamar Jackson, QB
Lamar Jackson is coming off his worst performance of the season, and this matchup isn’t exactly a get-right spot. Through 11 weeks, the Chargers own the fourth-highest sack rate despite blitzing at a bottom-10 rate, a unique level of defensive production that could cause the reigning MVP some problems.
Jackson’s completion percentage when pressured without a blitz sits at 41.8% this season, down from 56.3% in 2023. Of course, the passing numbers are only half the battle when slowing Jackson, and we saw Kyler Murray peel off for a 44-yard score against the Chargers back in Week 7.
For my money, Jackson is as close to matchup-proof as any QB in the league. I’ve dropped him as low as he’ll get in my rankings — he’s sitting at the bottom of my top tier and an unquestioned starter in every format imaginable.
Derrick Henry, RB
If 65 yards and a touchdown are a floor, you have to take it. Derrick Henry struggled according to his lofty expectations on Sunday in Pittsburgh (he even lost a fumble for the first time on 538 touches), and yet you still had every chance to win your matchup.
The sledding doesn’t get any easier this week against a Chargers defense that owns the lowest opponent rushing touchdown rate, but we are talking about one of the chosen few who is truly matchup-proof. I like Baltimore to bounce back on Monday night — if that comes to light, you can expect another triple-digit performance from Henry, potentially flipping your Week 12 matchup in the process.
Justice Hill, RB
Justice Hill saw seven targets last weekend against the Steelers, something that is great to see if you believe the Ravens are going to be pushed. That’s certainly possible this week and for the majority of their remaining games (Eagles, Giants, Steelers, and Texans remain).
That said, without a game of 20 rushing yards since Week 3, there’s a low floor to consider if PPR managers are considering getting cute. My play is this: do nothing. The Ravens have their bye in Week 14 and Hill could be cut loose at that time.
If you want his pass-catching role on your bench, add him during the bye and be on your way. As long as Derrick Henry is healthy, Hill is never going to rank as a starter for me, though I did like what I saw last week; with the rematch coming in crunch time for fantasy leagues, there’s sound logic that comes with rostering him.
Diontae Johnson, WR
Diontae Johnson saw a first-drive target last week, but he only saw one look the rest of the way against the Steelers and still hasn’t found his footing with Baltimore.
The veteran receiver might prove to be a viable option for a Ravens team that has their eyes on postseason success. Yet, asking Johnson to return to fantasy production in the short term is asking a lot.
Johnson has yet to play even 30% of the snaps since the trade, and in a run-centric offense like this, that role isn’t even remotely close to roster-worthy.
Rashod Bateman, WR
Remember those preseason hype quotes about how impactful Rashod Bateman was going to be? Go ahead and save a reminder in your phone for August 22nd of this upcoming summer as a reminder to not fall for them.
He’s seen 4-5 targets in five of his past six games. Given that this offense has problems stabilizing any pass catcher, banking on a limited-opportunity role like that offers more risk than reward. We used to label Bateman as one of those “maybe one target can make my day” types, but he is not one of the 146 players this month with a 20-yard reception.
Given the matchup that his defense provides, there are three Charger receivers I’d rather roster this week (and moving forward for that matter) than Bateman.
Zay Flowers, WR
The up-and-down season for Zay Flowers was never more prevalent than on Sunday, as he had what looked to be a back-breaking drop late in the game, a drive he’d later finish with a 16-yard touchdown grab to keep the Ravens in it.
If that single drive wasn’t symbolic of 2+ months of rostering Flowers, I don’t know what is. He leads the league in games with 110+ receiving yards (four) and ranks tied for fourth in the number of games with at least six targets and under 40 receiving yards (three) among receivers.
On paper, this doesn’t look like a great spot for Flowers, as the Chargers allow the second-fewest yards after the catch per reception to the slot this season. Largely, the receivers who have done damage against Los Angeles fall into a much different physical stature bucket than Flowers.
- Ja’Marr Chase: 6’, 201 pounds
- Tee Higgins: 6’4”, 219 pounds
- Calvin Ridley: 6’1”, 190 pounds
- Cedric Tillman: 6’3”, 216 pounds
Flowers stands 5’9” and weighs 175 pounds. With limited options, I doubt that you have three receivers (or a third running back) that I’d start over Baltimore’s roller coaster of a WR1, but I’m entering this week with lower expectations.
Isaiah Likely, TE
The 42-yard catch and run in the first quarter last weekend was a good reminder of how impactful Isaiah Likely’s athletic profile can be, but the rest of the game was a reminder of how little he is used.
Likely played just 48.1% of Baltimore’s snaps in the loss to Pittsburgh, his lowest in a healthy game this season, putting him in a difficult spot to produce with consistency. I can justify rostering him based on his physical tools and the potency of Baltimore’s offense, but counting on Likely weekly is going to be more maddening than impactful.
This isn’t a good matchup, and even if you’re willing to dive into a tough one, I prefer Ja’Tavion Sanders, a young option whose team is motivated to develop talent instead of aiming to win now.
Mark Andrews, TE
The touchdown barrage entering Week 11 was fun, but it was never going to be sustainable. This season, Mark Andrews has seen 40.1% of his PPR fantasy points produced via scores, a rate that spiked to 34.9% last season from 20.7% in 2022.
This is who Andrews is at this point. The Ravens will have better offensive days moving forward, but they no longer require their veteran TE to produce in order to get there.
My fringe TE1 ranking of Andrews is more a nod to the superhero abilities of Lamar Jackson than anything else. The days of elite volume are behind us here, and the next tight end who clears eight PPR points against the Chargers without seeing at least seven targets will be the first this season.
Los Angeles Chargers Start-Sit Advice
Justin Herbert, QB
The development of this Chargers team has been a great story to track, and Justin Herbert’s fantasy stock has been soaring as a result. The fifth-year signal-caller has posted four straight QB1 finishes as a result of him doing a bit of everything.
Not only has Herbert not thrown an interception since Week 2, allowing him to stay on the field and produce, but he’s cleared 4.5 fantasy points on the ground in three of the last four games, rush attempts that have been a mix of design and determination. He’s checking every box you could ask for, and this matchup only serves as an amplifier.
During this four-game run, Herbert has thrown a touchdown on 16.7% of his deep passes, a massive step forward from the 4.9% rate he posted over his 24 games prior. That’s a great trend by itself, as it provides the ability to overcome minor slumps like what we saw on Sunday night. But in this matchup, it’s gold.
The Ravens cough up the fourth-most yards per deep pass attempt this season, and with a total hovering around 50 points, it’s not hard to envision a game that much resembles Week 11’s 34-27 win over the Bengals.
The schedule toughens at the wrong time for fantasy managers (Chiefs in Week 14 and Broncos in Week 16), but in the scope of this week, you should feel great about having a Monday night hammer.
Gus Edwards, RB
Gus Edwards has totaled 16 touches in his two games back from injury, but his value was always going to come via the touchdown plunges — and that role is not available at the moment.
Not only has J.K. Dobbins punched in five scores over his past four games, but Jim Harbaugh has clearly given Justin Herbert the green light to run, further removing touch equity for Los Angeles’ RB2.
Edwards is a version of Austin Ekeler but without the pass-catching prowess. Not attractive to you? That’s because it shouldn’t be. Edwards’ lack of versatility this season (1.8% of touches have been receptions) is even more glaring than in years past (4.1%), making him a name you can leave on your wire.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
Four players this season have four games in which they did all of the following: scored a rushing touchdown, caught a pass, and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, and J.K. Dobbins all have four such games.
Not too shabby.
The game-winning touchdown last week was encouraging, but it does seem like Jim Harbaugh wants to put his fate in the hands of Justin Herbert (three straight games with no more than 15 carries for Dobbins), and with Gus Edwards healthy, this run game could fall by the wayside at the wrong time.
We’ve seen a floor present itself with Dobbins having four finishes outside of the top 25, and a fifth is very possible in this matchup against the top rush defense by EPA. He currently sits as my RB24 this week with the hope being that the overall success of this offense can put Dobbins in a position to produce viable numbers, even if inefficiently.
Joshua Palmer, WR
Joshua Palmer has reached double figures in PPR formats just twice this season and has yet to earn more than five targets in a game. In the shootout with the Bengals last week, he wasn’t a part of where this offense wanted to go — 69.7% of Justin Herbert’s targets went to one of three players (Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, or Will Dissly).
There isn’t much immediate competition for WR3 targets in the Chargers’ offense, but this remains a team that wants to work through the ground when possible. With Gus Edwards healthy and Dissly’s role expanding, the opportunity count is drying up quickly.
I trust Herbert enough to hold onto Palmer right now, but he’s not untouchable. This profile is weak at best based on the development of the pieces around him and the direction of this offense philosophically.
Ladd McConkey, WR
Ladd McConkey is coming off his second 100-yard game of the season, an effort that saw him make clutch plays left and right. In the win over the Bengals, he lined up in the slot a season-high 88.9% of the time, something that I love to see in a macro sense.
In the micro, not so much. The Ravens are much better against the slot (11th in slot passer rating) than the perimeter (23rd). That doesn’t mean that McConkey can’t produce, it’s just worth noting as you look to evaluate his floor case. The ceiling case has been evident — here’s a snapshot as to where he stands at the position in PPR PPG since Week 8.
13. Ladd McConkey: 16.5
14. George Pickens: 16.3
15. Justin Jefferson: 16.3
16. Puka Nacua: 16.1
Do I think he’s swimming in those waters for the remainder of the season? I do not, but with this offense maturing, McConkey is a legitimate threat to lead this rookie receiver class in scoring the rest of the way and is deserving of your trust on a consistent basis.
Quentin Johnston, WR
On the surface, Quentin Johnston serves as a good reminder that development isn’t linear, and outwardly dismissing a player with pedigree after one poor season is dangerous. He’s been a top-40 receiver in five of his past seven games, a level of production that we would have scoffed at three months ago.
Johnston has established himself as a viable deep threat (15.0-yard aDOT) in an offense that is beginning to open up, a valuable spot to be in this specific matchup. Here are the players to score 10+ points against Baltimore in a game this season solely on passes thrown at least 15 yards down the field:
- Ja’Marr Chase (Week 10): 34 deep points
- Ja’Marr Chase (Week 5): 13.9
- KaVontae Turpin (Week 3): 11.9
- Davante Adams (Week 2): 11.5
- Courtland Sutton (Week 9): 11.5
- Jalen Tolbert (Week 3): 11.4
- Cedric Tillman (Week 8): 10.8
- Elijah Moore (Week 8): 10.7
- Xavier Worthy (Week 1): 10.5
He can produce in this spot, without a doubt. But for all the nice things I just said about him, let’s not overreact and force him into lineups.
He still owns a 59.5% catch rate this season, and while his scoring on 27.3% of his receptions has resulted in nice past production, projecting such a bonkers rate to sustain is unwise (for reference, Ja’Marr Chase leads the league in TD receptions and has scored on 16.4% of his catches this season).
There’s a time and a place for Johnston. If you’re an underdog and want some Monday night upside, go for it. But if your matchup is projected to be a close one, this is the type of profile I find myself avoiding more often than not, something that requires discipline in this sort of matchup.
Johnston is my WR34 this week.
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Trends
Baltimore Ravens
Team: Over the past decade, the Ravens (25-10, 71.4%) have the highest winning percentage in primetime games in the league.
QB: Lamar Jackson completed just 48.5% of his passes in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, the second-lowest mark of his career in a game with at least 30 passes thrown.
Offense: Derrick Henry is the fourth player since the 1970 Merger with an 11-game TD streak to open a season:
- 1975 O.J. Simpson (14 straight)
- 1987 Jerry Rice (12 straight)
- 1983 John Riggins (12 straight)
Defense: Baltimore’s defense wasn’t to blame for the Week 11 loss in Pittsburgh – they allowed just nine points on four red zone trips.
Fantasy: Zay Flowers leads the league in games with 110-plus receiving yards (four) and ranks fourth in number of games with at least six targets and under 40 receiving yards (three).
Lamar Jackson staying in the pocket. Zay Flowers drop.#Ravensflock https://t.co/JVNFOddhdH pic.twitter.com/WyUrreLntP
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 17, 2024
Betting: Lamar Jackson has covered eight of his past 10 primetime games, covering by an average of 8.8 points over that run.
Los Angeles Chargers
Team: Los Angeles’ average point differential this season is +7.5, tracking for their best year since 2009 (that team went 13-3 with a +8.4 average point differential).
QB: When this game kicks off, it will have been 400 days since the last time Justin Herbert threw a second-half interception (Week 7, 2023).
Offense: Since Week 7, the Chargers have averaged 6.1 yards per play, up from the 4.8 yards per play they averaged through six weeks.
Defense: Since Week 7, the Chargers’ pressure rate has increased from 35.2% to 35.9% despite dropping their blitz rate from 26.3% to 19.8%.
Fantasy: Four players this season are atop the leaderboard in terms of games in which they scored a rushing touchdown, caught a pass, and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Jahlyb Gibbs, and J.K. Dobbins all have four such games.
Betting: Justin Herbert’s first career start on extended rest and on primetime went over the total. He’s played six such games since – all have gone under the number.