With the Baltimore Ravens‘ playoff scenarios relatively limited in Week 18, there are questions over whether the likes of J.K. Dobbins and other star players will play this week. With half an eye on Wild Card Weekend, will we see the Ravens rest their main options this week, and what are the fantasy football implications of those decisions?
Is J.K. Dobbins Playing Today?
Early Sunday morning, we found out from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Dobbins will not play in Week 18. The report stated that Dobbins will begin focusing on getting ready for Wild Card Weekend. The Ravens’ RB has dealt with knee issues this season after tearing his ACL ahead of the 2021 season. It now looks like Baltimore wants to make sure their main RB is completely ready for the playoffs.
Despite Dobbins’ preseason assertions that he would be ready for Week 1, we did not see him take the field until Week 3. After playing the next four games, he underwent a clean-up knee procedure. That would keep him out until his Week 14 return against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then, Dobbins has carried the ball 57 times for 397 yards at an average of 6.96 yards per attempt.
The Ravens’ decision to rest Dobbins is intriguing, with uncertainty over the QB position this week. With Lamar Jackson out again, Tyler Huntley is also a question mark. On Saturday, we saw them elevate Brett Hundley from the practice squad, meaning they will have a choice of Huntley, Hundley, and Anthony Brown under center for Week 18.
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At RB, Baltimore will enter this week with a combination of Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake, and Justice Hill. During the past month, Edwards has fairly firmly established himself as the primary backup to Dobbins. While you would expect him to be the main beneficiary of Dobbins’ absence, the Ravens may also want to show some caution with Edwards, who is another back to have missed 2021 with a knee injury.
That all means we could see a healthy dose of both Drake and Hill this week. However, from a fantasy perspective, this backfield — and really the entire offense — is hard to put any stock into. We have no clarity over who will play QB or how long any of the starting options will play this week. In season-long leagues, with championships on the line, this is an offense that is likely best avoided this week.
If you play in Underdog Fantasy Best ball formats and are looking for a last-round upside play, then Drake is somewhat intriguing. However, it would have to be a real dart throw in the final round as an upside option on a stacked roster.