RADIO
The 2021 season is back and we are ready to rock. After the uncertainty of the 2020 offseason with COVID restrictions and a lack of preseason, we got back to a level of normalcy this year with how teams conducted training camps and preseason games.
Unfortunately for one of the teams in this matchup, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. An array of injuries have hit the Baltimore Ravens, specifically in the backfield. In the past two weeks, Baltimore has lost J.K. Dobbins (ACL), Gus Edwards (ACL), and Justice Hill (Achilles) for the season. On top of that, rookie first-round selection will miss the first month of the season due to a core surgery, and cornerback Marcus Peters was also lost with an ACL injury. Baltimore will rely on Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, and Marquise Brown to lead the offense behind a strong offensive line with newcomers like Sammy Watkins and Ty’Son Williams.
On the other side, Las Vegas will look to build on an offense that incorporates numerous explosive weapons in the passing game and two veteran running backs. Las Vegas knows what they have in Darren Waller, but will need second-year receivers Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs III to step up more than their rookie season. Thankfully, mainstay running back Josh Jacobs and newcomer Kenyan Drake will operate behind a revamped offensive line heading into 2021. This game should be interesting with two teams with playoff aspirations trying to figure out if those dreams can come to fruition.
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Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders
Game time: Monday 9/13 @ 8:15 PM EST
Game line: Baltimore -4
Over/Under: 50.5
Must Starts
Lamar Jackson (QB, BAL)
The first entry is a no-brainer: any fantasy manager that drafted Lamar Jackson needs to set him and forget him as the quarterback for the entirety of the 2021 season. Lamar finished as the QB7 in fantasy scoring last season, averaging 22.79 points per game. Lamar regressed a bit from a passing touchdown standpoint in 2020, throwing just 26 touchdowns compared to the 36 in his MVP campaign in 2019. However, he continued to protect the football (only nine interceptions) and put together his second consecutive campaign with over 1,000 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns. Las Vegas spent the offseason investing in numerous additions along the front seven, but with the Ravens dealing with injuries to their top three running backs heading into the season, Lamar should be a major factor on the ground for at least the first week.
Josh Jacobs (RB, LV)
Much was made of the addition of Kenyan Drake to the Raiders backfield during free agency, but make no mistake that Josh Jacobs will factor in as the lead running back heading into 2021. As always, the lack of pass-game work for Jacobs will be maddening, but even without an impressive amount of targets, Jacobs finished as a top-12 running back in 2020 for PPR scoring for players that started at least 10 games. Jacobs had at least 15 carries in 10 of 15 games played last year and will once again function as the primary goal-line back. He makes an excellent RB2 or FLEX play weekly based on volume alone.
*9/13 UPDATE* Over the weekend, Josh Jacobs was downgraded to out thanks to a non-COVID-related illness. There is little to go on based on news reports, but Jacobs has been known to play through illness and injury in his career. However, this could ultimately result in Jacobs seeing a reduced workload on Monday Night Football. If you are looking to make a comeback heading into the Monday Night game and have an open bench spot (and have Jacobs in your FLEX position), you might be better served pivoting to another player if they are currently on waivers. If not, you might just have to ride the wave and hope for the best.
Ty'Son Williams (RB, BAL)
Thanks to pure attrition, Ty'Son Williams finds himself heading into Monday Night Football as the RB1 in Baltimore. Le’Veon Bell may get activated from the practice squad before the game kicks off, but Ty’Son Williams is the only running back in Baltimore at the moment that knows the offense and should garner the majority of the reps out of the backfield. The Raiders struggled mightily against running backs last season, allowing 23.3 fantasy points per week to the position. Even if Williams doesn’t get the role we have come to expect from Baltimore’s top running back, he is still in an extremely run-heavy offense with a strong offensive line and is worth a shot as an RB2 or FLEX in week 1.
Darren Waller (TE, LV)
Darren Waller is an instant start every week considering he functions as the Raiders WR1 every week. Last season, Waller averaged 9.1 targets, 6.7 receptions, and 74.8 yards per game at the tight end position and finished as the TE2 overall behind Travis Kelce. Regardless of matchup, he should be locked into the tight end position whenever his bye week doesn’t factor in.
Mark Andrews (TE, BAL)
Like Darren Waller, Mark Andrews can be considered a lock starter every week of the season given his consistency at the position. Andrews averaged 12.2 points per game in PPR leagues last season, good for the TE3 overall (minimum of 10 games played). The former Oklahoma Sooner averaged 6.3 targets and 4.1 receptions last year and functioned as Lamar Jackson’s WR1. With numerous injuries to the running back and wide receiver position to start the 2021 season, Andrews will once again remain in that role. Combine that with the Raiders’ questionable linebackers and safeties and Andrews could be poised to smash in his opening matchup.
Consider Sitting
Derek Carr (QB, LV)
Derek Carr is a solid, but unspectacular quarterback that can have weekly starting appeal. Carr just completed his third straight season with 4,000 passing yards and his second season with at least 20 touchdowns and under 10 interceptions. Despite those statistics, Carr is usually drafted as a QB2 with streamable upside. This is a week worth fading him. Even with Marcus Peters getting injured on Thursday with an ACL tear, the Ravens have a formidable defense led by Marlon Humphrey at corner. That, combined with a strong pass rush against a questionable offensive line, makes Carr a worthy fade if he’s rostered in week 1.
Marquise Brown (WR, BAL)
Marquise Brown is the definition of a boom or bust wide receiver and he should only be started in desperate situations. Brown may be rusty heading into week 1 thanks to a hamstring injury that limited him throughout most of the preseason. He has the rapport with Lamar Jackson after playing with him for the past two seasons, however, that rapport has resulted in middling statistics to this point. Until we see growth out of Marquise Brown’s role in a run-heavy offense, he is a worthwhile fade in fantasy lineups.
Potential Sleepers
Kenyan Drake (RB, LV)
Kenyan Drake comes into 2021 as the pass-catching complement to Josh Jacobs after spending last year as the lead back in Arizona. While Drake did rush for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns (along with 25 receptions and 137 receiving yards) last season, he will likely find himself in a reduced role coming into this year. Jacobs will function as the early-down running back this season, meaning Drake will likely need to see a significant role in the passing game in a negative game script to hit. Baltimore may not be able to score enough to generate that scenario with their offense in so much flux heading into week 1.
*9/13 UPDATE* With Jacobs downgraded to questionable with an illness, Kenyan Drake climbs into must-start territory for me. At worst, Drake will see the exact same role as a situational runner and pass catcher heading into Monday night's matchup. At best, Jacobs gets a reduced workload due to his illness and Drake gets an opportunity to dominate touches out of the backfield. Either way, the potential upside of Drake in an RB1 role is shot worth taking if you are trailing in your fantasy matchup heading into tonight's action.
Sammy Watkins (WR, BAL)
Thanks to injuries, Sammy Watkins comes into the 2021 season as the WR1 in Baltimore. During his last three seasons in Kansas City’s high octane offense, Watkins collected 129 receptions on 200 targets in 34 games played. Despite having Patrick Mahomes, Watkins failed to make an impact outside of several big games. He now finds himself in a run-oriented offense that will limit his ability to make plays. Watkins does have the ability to have big games and could lead the team in targets, giving him upside.
Bryan Edwards (WR, LV)
Bryan Edwards had a disappointing rookie year marred by injury, registering just 11 receptions on 15 targets for 193 yards and a touchdown. Once Edwards got healthy after a foot injury, Nelson Agholor was on fire and reduced Edwards to a complementary role. Now that Agholor has moved on to New England, Edwards is poised to function as the team's top wide receiver and second receiving option to Darren Waller. Edwards will be a volume-dependent option in a weekly basis, but he has the size and speed to have massive games. Marlon Humphrey could pose a difficult challenge in the first game of his second season.
Henry Ruggs III (WR, LV)
Like Edwards, Ruggs failed to launch during his rookie season. The 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft caught just 26 of 43 targets for 452 yards and two touchdowns. Ruggs will always function as a deep threat, but he has the long speed to take anything the distance at any time. Ruggs may struggle to get the volume to be a consistent starting wide receiver, but he will have massive weekly upside. Thanks to the Marcus Peters injury, Ruggs could find himself in favorable matchups this week and could be worth a hail mary play in fantasy lineups that need a big Monday night to try and get a win.
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