NFL 2018: AFC North – Projected Starters – Fantasy Football

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens

QB – Joe Flacco

Flacco had slow 2017 season, finishing as the 24th QB in fantasy points. His cautious approach has frustrated Ravens fans in recent years and has caused the Baltimore front office to draft their Quarterback of the future, 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. Jackson is expected to redshirt his rookie campaign, learning behind Flacco and RG3 for the first season. This signing should light a fire under Flacco and cause him to throw the ball more and take a few more risks. If he doesn’t, then we may see Jackson sooner than expected.

RB1 – Alex Collins

Alex Collins had a fantastic 2017 season after starting the year on the Seahawks practice squad. The Ravens snapped him up after the other RBs in Baltimore became unavailable. Collins finished the year with 973 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs. Surprisingly the Ravens didn’t sign Collins to a long-term deal this offseason. He will start the season as the RB1 and should keep that job throughout the season. He is currently going as the 19th RB off of the board in fantasy drafts.

RB2 – Kenneth Dixon

Dixon was suspended for the first 4 games of last season and then suffered a torn meniscus, meaning he landed on IR for the rest of the season. Dixon hasn’t shown much since been rafted in the 4th round in the 2016 draft. He will compete with Javorius Allen for a change of pace work.

WR1 – Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree was signed from the Oakland Raiders and will be the WR1 in this offense. He had a down year in 2017, catching just 58 passes, however, he did find the end zone 8 times. If he can strike up a good rapport with Joe Flacco then he should be a solid WR2 come to the end of the season. He isn’t as quick as he used to be, but his experience and ability to create separation should see him receive plenty of targets, especially in the RedZone.

WR2 – Willie Snead

Snead had a forgettable 2017 season after being banned for the first 3 games. He was overtaken on the depth chart and therefore became disposable for the Saints. The Ravens snapped him up on a two-year deal. I don’t expect Snead to reach the heights that he did with the Saints in 2016, where he recorded nearly 900 receiving yards and 4 TDs. Snead will probably be undrafted in most fantasy leagues, so keep an eye out for him on the waiver wire.

WR3 – Breshard Perriman

Perriman will start the season a the WR3 in the Ravens offense. He won’t be fantasy relevant for the majority of the season unless injuries mean he is forced into a larger role. Perriman will be a free agent in 2019, so he will be looking to put himself in the shop window this season.

TE – Hayden Hurst

Hurst was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft with the 25th pick. Tight End was an area of need for the Ravens after losing Dennis Pitta to injury. Flacco has been known to target his Tight Ends, most notably Pitta, as seen in the 2016 season where he caught 86 passes. Hurst could have some immediate value in deep leagues, but the presence of fellow 2018 draftee Mark Andrews has experts worried that they will eat into each other's workloads. Tight Ends notoriously take a few years to get going in the NFL, so I’m not expecting too much production from Hurst in 2018.