Unfortunately, the injury bug is biting many projected fantasy football studs early in 2023. The injury to Mark Andrews has kept him sidelined for the past six practices, and as teams ramp up game-planning efforts in preparation for Week 1, what is the latest on the Baltimore Ravens star TE?
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Latest News Surrounding Mark Andrews
The Ravens have been doing a fantastic job playing this one close to the vest. Unfortunately, that means that there’s a lack of overall information on Andrews.
Ravens TE Mark Andrews was back at practice for the first time since the Commanders joint practices.
Only CB Marlon Humphrey was missing. pic.twitter.com/qTMEbrGtoy
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) September 6, 2023
This past Monday, Andrews missed his sixth consecutive practice with this mysterious unknown injury. However, the Ravens got some positive news on Wednesday as the talented TE returned to practice. All signs now point to him being ready to suit up for Baltimore’s first game against the Houston Texans.
Will Mark Andrews Play This Week?
If things continue at this pace, then yes, Andrews will likely take on his regular role as the Ravens’ TE1 and top option in the passing game. Wednesday’s practice report was extremely telling on how to view Andrews’ injury for this week as well as going forward.
If Andrews suffers a setback, however, and doesn’t play, the Ravens have several interesting options. First and foremost, Isaiah Likely is likely to slide into the Andrews role and possibly vault into top-10 TE territory, if not top-five.
Baltimore’s wide receivers would also likely see a bump, but since the overall target order of the new room is unknown, it remains to be seen who would likely see more opportunity.
MORE: Cooper Kupp Injury Update — Will the Rams’ WR Play in Week 1?
Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rashod Bateman would all receive small bumps due to the unknown. Best guess is that Flowers, as the likely slot WR, would be the biggest beneficiary of the three.
Tight ends and slot receivers run similar routes as outlet options, though this is just speculation. It’d be a blow to the team outlook though, trying to implement a new scheme without the top passing-game option.
What Does This Mean for Mark Andrews’ Fantasy Ranking?
Andrews should open the year as TE1 in rankings for Week 1, assuming he’s healthy. With the news on Travis Kelce, he feels unlikely to play Thursday night. This leaves Andrews as the top guy and possibly the biggest advantage in fantasy lineups.
In Andrews’ elite 2021 season, he outscored Kelce (TE2) by over 30 points and TE3 Dalton Schultz by about 78 points in half-PPR scoring. In 2022, he followed that up with a higher per-game output over his first six weeks when he picked up a knee injury. He struggled the rest of the way between his and Lamar Jackson’s injury.
Assuming that Andrews is fully healthy or close to it, he’s locked in as the TE1. He’s likely good for at least a 3-4-point advantage over all other tight ends on average. If he plays, fire him up with extreme confidence. But if Andrews is listed on the injury report, fantasy managers should add Likely to have a high ceiling option behind him.