J.K. Dobbins fantasy outlook: Should you pick the Ravens RB in Week 14?

In preparation for their Sunday matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens have activated running back J.K. Dobbins. Baltimore has released seasoned running back Mike Davis to create a place for Dobbins.

Dobbins, the top running back for the Baltimore Ravens, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and was thus put on injured reserve on October 21. He has been practicing for two weeks and appears to be running more powerfully than before.

After missing six games due to a knee injury, J.K. Dobbins will make a comeback. The Ravens will now have an additional running alternative to support Tyler Huntley against the Steelers.

J.K. Dobbins is expected to play a part, sharing touches with Gus Edwards. The ground game will be heavily utilized to relieve Huntley of the burden against a potent Pittsburgh defensive unit. Huntley will be the starter in Baltimore as Lamar Jackson is expected to be absent for multiple weeks.

At this stage, fantasy owners should keep Dobbins on the bench. As this is his first match back, it seems too much of a risk. If he plays well this week, he can start in Week 15.

J.K. Dobbins's Week 14 fantasy prediction

J.K. Dobbins' potential role in the upcoming game (his first since Week 6) is uncertain. Dobbins used to be the first choice to head Baltimore's backfield group, but the unit has recently adopted a more dispersed strategy.

Fantasy managers shouldn't have much faith in selecting Dobbins because he is TD-dependent. By this we mean that if he fails to get into the endzone, he won't see enough touches to record a decent score.

In a difficult battle against the seventh-ranked run defense of the Steelers, Baltimore's backfield is a no-go.

The Ravens boast the third-best rushing attack in the league. They've gained 157.8 yards on average. But lately, their running game has changed significantly. Over the last three rounds of games, Kenyan Drake, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill have combined for 180 rushing yards, which ranks 25th in the league.

Gus Edwards saw six rushes in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, while Kenyan Drake had seven. Following Lamar Jackson's injury, Tyler Huntley led the team in carrying the ball 10 times.

Dobbins, Drake and Edwards will all be in action for this one and are expected to split carries. Quite how they will split them is uncertain. In his first game of the season in Week 3, the Ravens only gave Dobbins 45% of the offensive snaps because they didn't want to risk further injuring him.

On Sunday, Baltimore will likely use an identical strategy with Dobbins, possibly restricting him to fewer than 45 percent of the snaps.