Justice Hill injury update: Latest on Ravens RB for fantasy football Week 3

Justice Hill is a name that didn't come up a great deal when it came to fantasy football in 2023. The Ravens running back has a total of 21.2 points in PPR leagues in two games. Hill hasn't been fantasy relevant since being drafted by the team in 2019.

Last season, he had just 49 carries for 262 yards in 15 games while playing just 27 percent of the Ravens offensive snaps. He had 42 fantasy points in 2022, which doesn't give owners much optimism of any upside.

Given the state of Baltimore's backfield, Hill's recent injury could impact fantasy football in Week 3.

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Justice Hill injury update

Baltimore Ravens RB Justice Hill

Hill has been ruled out for Sunday’s Week 3 game versus the Colts with a foot injury. This move isn't all that surprsing as the running back didn’t practice all week with the team.

With Hill out, Gus Edwards might become the lead back, who is backed up by veteran Melvin Gordon.

Their No. 3 option would likely be back Kenyan Drake, whom Baltimore signed to the practice squad. Hill became the lead back when star running back JK Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1.

Hill was third on the team with 50 rushing yards with 19 carries while leading the team with two rushing touchdowns.

Fantasy owners were certainly taken aback when they saw Hill’s name show up on the injury report. Nothing had been reported coming out of Sunday’s matchup versus the Bengals regarding his health status.

Hill being out means that fantasy owners must start seeking better options outside their team if necessary. Head coach John Harbaugh circumvented a question about Hill after practice on Wednesday ahead of the game this week.

If he played this week, he would've had a soild start in the RB slot in fantasy, depending on the makeup of your roster.

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What happened to Justice Hill?

Baltimore Ravens RB Justice Hill

While nothing definite has been stated officially, Hill either suffered his foot injury in Week 2 or in practice. Hill had 47 yards on 11 carries as he was in on 57 percent of the offensive snaps against the Bengals. The question is, can fantasy owners find any value that he gave to them early on?

Hill was rostered on over a third of rosters in most fantasy leagues once Dobbins went down. It's hard to tell if Edwards could even supply the necessary points in PPR in Hill's absence.

There's a chance he's splitting the workload with Gordon, meaning the snaps won't be there to move the fantasy needle. Edwards getting anywhere between 13-15 carries could yield a gain in PPR leagues.

Gordon could be in the single-digits when it comes to carries and may not have the same value as Edwards in Week 3. Hill being out does make it hard for fantasy owners to seek out a suitable replacement. As noted earlier, the waiver wire might be the best spot in the short-term whenever Hill is at 100 percent.

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When will Justice Hill return?

Baltimore Ravens RB Justice Hill

There's no timetable for his return as he's out just this week against the Colts. The Ravens have not said how severe the foot injury is. Baltimore's woes in the backfield might cause fantasy owners to avoid Hill if he comes back in Week 4.

For now, keep him stashed on your team, unless the injury does turn out to be much more severe. Hill's value is cheap and a better option, given the Ravens love to pound the ball. The foot injury might have time to heal, and the team is hoping it's nothing serious.

In fantasy, running back is a premium position, but it is susceptible to injury a bit more than others. It's why some in fantasy load their team at running backs because it's a safety net should injuries happen.

Hill doesn't have an injury history in his career, so that's something that owners can rely on. Using Edwards or Gordon is a no-go to start, unless you're desperate at running back. If anything, get Edwards if he's available as he's the better of the two options.

Overall, Hill's status means that quarterback Lamar Jackson might run it a bit more to take the pressure off.