The Baltimore Ravens will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wild Card Weekend. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Zay Flowers.
Is Zay Flowers Playing vs. the Steelers?
Head coach John Harbaugh noted Thursday that Flowers (knee) won’t play in Saturday night’s Wild Card round game against the Steelers.
Flowers, who sprained his right knee in this past Saturday’s win over the Browns, didn’t practice this week and will target a potential return to action in the Divisional Round, should Baltimore defeat Pittsburgh.
In Flowers’ absence, Rashod Bateman is in line to work as the team’s top wideout this weekend, and Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace, and Devontez Walker are also slated to mix in.
We’ll continue to monitor the Ravens’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Zay Flowers’ Fantasy Outlook
Flowers isn’t playing this weekend due to a knee injury. It goes without saying that this is a situation worth monitoring.
For playoff-long formats, I’d keep an eye on things as long as possible, but your instinct is going to fade any uncertain situation. I don’t have a problem with that, but it’s also not unique. If Flowers’ status is TBD when you’re drafting, his ADP is going to sink, and it’s on you to determine when the right time to pounce is.
I love the player, but even if he were playing, I don’t like this Wild Card matchup. If you think Baltimore advances, then we are in a buy situation because I do like how Flowers’ skill set plays in a likely matchup with the Bills.
For this weekend, we have two games of data when it comes to how Baltimore’s offense wants to utilize its WR1 in this specific spot, and, to be honest, I wasn’t loving it.
Flowers posted a 14+ yard aDOT in both Steelers games during the regular season, something that is very much outside of his normal usage pattern (three such games all season when not facing Pittsburgh). Those targets, naturally, come with more risk, which was reflected in his 50% catch rate across those two games (otherwise: 65.7%).
The more you dive into the target data, the more bizarre things get. We are looking at the smallest of samples, but a 19.5-yard aDOT from the slot doesn’t happen by accident (all other games: 6.6-yard aDOT from the slot). If I’m investing in Flowers in any given week, I’m doing it with the understanding that I’m betting on efficiency.
I’m not betting on splash plays; Rashod Bateman does that.
I’m not betting on touchdowns; Derrick Henry and Mark Andrews do that.
If I’m not confident in the type of routes that are going to be run or the health, how could I have justified going in this direction? Add in the fact that this is expected to be a positive game script for Baltimore, and I was having a hard time seeing Flowers being worth the risk this week.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Wild Card Weekend Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Zay Flowers’ Fantasy Points Projection on Wild Card Weekend
Flowers is projected to score 0 points this weekend.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Zay Flowers’ Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)