The Baltimore Ravens will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Ravens 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.
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.