Is Lamar Jackson Playing This Week? Should I Start Tyler Huntley in Week 18?

3 years ago by Keith Hernandez

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Most fantasy football leagues came to an end in Week 17. But if your league doesn't conclude until the NFL regular season is over in Week 18, then you still have a lot on the line. Along with injuries and COVID-19, playing-time concerns also enter into the equation to make things even more difficult for fantasy managers.

Let's take a look at the Baltimore Ravens. They need a win over the Steelers to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. If they win, they also need the Colts, Dolphins, and Chargers to lose to get into the postseason. It's a long shot, which has informed the Ravens' decision at the most important position on the field for Sunday's must-win game.

Is Lamar Jackson playing in Week 18 against the Steelers? If he misses another game, is Tyler Huntley worth starting? We'll examine Baltimore's QB situation further...

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Is Lamar Jackson Playing This Week Against the Steelers?

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) will be inactive to close out the regular season in Week 18 against Pittsburgh. Jackson returned to practice last Wednesday but was limping badly and hasn't practiced since. The writing was on the wall for Jackson to close out the regular season on the sidelines after he missed the first two practices this week on Wednesday and Thursday.

Lamar Jackson will be sidelined a 4th straight week with a right ankle injury.

This is the 5th game that he's missed this season.

Jackson had only missed 2 games in his first 3 seasons (one was for COVID and the other was sitting out after Ravens had already clinched top seed).
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 7, 2022

If the Ravens don't make the playoffs, which is likely, it will be a season of what-ifs for this Baltimore team. If Jackson had not missed five games this year, would the Ravens have made the playoffs? You can make a strong argument that Baltimore would be in the postseason picture if Jackson hadn't missed a single game due to injury.

The 25-year-old, who was named to his second Pro Bowl, will finish the season going 246-for-382 (64.4 completion percentage) for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, and a career-high 13 interceptions in 12 games played. He also rushed the ball 133 times for 767 yards and two more touchdowns.

He could finish outside the top-15 QBs in overall fantasy points, which is obviously a huge disappointment given where Jackson was selected in fantasy drafts. However, it shouldn't persuade you to avoid him as a strong QB1 option heading into the 2022 season, when the Ravens will hopefully have much better injury luck on their side.

Is Tyler Huntley Worth Starting in Week 18?

Quarterback Tyler Huntley isn't a terrible fallback option for those in need of a starting QB, and he makes for a very solid QB2 in leagues that start two QBs. While he can't completely fill the shoes of Lamar Jackson, Huntley has given his best impersonation with his ability to gain yards with his legs as well...

Tyler Huntley, who is 1-2 as a starter, will make his third start in the past four weeks.

In his 3 starts, Huntley has for 631 passing yards and 167 rushing yards, totaling 4 TDs (two passing and two rushing).
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 7, 2022

In Huntley's two losses as the starter in each of his last two games, the Ravens have lost to the Packers and Rams by a combined two points. And although the Steelers have the NFL's sack leader in T.J. Watt, their defense overall hasn't been as consistent as Huntley's last two opponents.

Tyler Huntley said he felt the effects of having COVID in last Sunday's start. He said he still felt it in his chest and didn’t feel the same after a couple of days not eating.

"I’m feeling way better this week,” Huntley said.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 7, 2022

While nobody expected Huntley to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the Week 17 loss to the Rams, he wasn't playing at 100% when he went 20-for-32 for 197 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception against a tough defense.

The Steelers defense has been right in the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to QBs per game this year, and they've actually given up the ninth-most rushing yards to signal-callers (322) and three touchdowns.

If Baltimore's offensive line can protect Huntley better than the Browns protected Baker Mayfield on Monday night, Huntley will have a chance to be a solid fantasy QB in Week 18. Consider this: Huntley checked in as the QB14 over the last three weeks, and he played in only two games (missed Week 16 due to COVID-19).

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