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As the fantasy season draws near, there are still plenty of situations that we still need to monitor ahead of Week 1. Teams are navigating injury situations and trying to determine the timeline for players who were hurt last season. No team in the NFL was as decimated by injuries as the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.
Within weeks, the Ravens started their 2021 season by losing running backs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill to season-ending injuries at the start of the season. That forced Baltimore to take the Cinderella approach to the backfield, trying on a bunch of veteran running backs and failing to find a fit. 13 different players registered at least one carry for the Ravens in 2021, including veterans like Devonta Freeman (team’s leading rusher not named Lamar Jackson), Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell, and an undrafted free agent in Ty’Son Williams.
Unfortunately, Baltimore’s backfield has continued uncertainty heading into 2022 as well. Gus Edwards has already been placed on the PUP list and J.K. Dobbins is still trying to work his way back from his August ACL tear. Once again, we need to try and decipher the Ravens’ backfield heading into Week 1 of the regular season. One of the names to know is veteran running back Mike Davis.
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Is Mike Davis the Ravens’ RB1 in Week 1?
If the season started tomorrow, the answer would probably be yes. J.K. Dobbins still isn’t taking part in full contact drills and is frequently seen practicing off to the side trying to get back to full speed.
With Gus Edwards already on the PUP list (which will force him out of the first four games), that means the Baltimore backfield consists of Mike Davis, rookie Tyler Badie, and a rehabbing Justice Hill. Of those options, Davis has looked the most impressive throughout the preseason.
In two preseason games, the veteran running back has totaled 11 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown while adding one reception for five yards. Davis has started both of the team’s preseason games so far but could find himself in a coveted three-down role to begin the season thanks to his excellent blocking ability.
While that won’t get you much in fantasy, it does mean he will be on the field and have opportunities to get targets in the passing game. In his last two seasons, Davis has caught 103 of 128 targets for 632 yards and three touchdowns with only eight drops.
Davis isn’t a particularly explosive runner but could still do damage behind a strong offensive line and as a complement to Lamar Jackson as a rusher.
Where Should I Draft Mike Davis In Fantasy Football?
Fantasy managers who want to take a shot on J.K. Dobbins should prioritize Mike Davis as the team’s “handcuff” to start the season.
Dobbins will eventually return to full speed sooner than later and will likely see the lion's share of the rushing attempts early on. With that being said, any team could see a benefit from Mike Davis if he is named the Week 1 starter between now and the regular season.
Davis isn’t being prioritized in drafts because nobody is certain what to make of Dobbins’ situation. For people drafting this weekend, that gives you an excellent chance to use one of your late-round picks (historically a dart throw) to add a player that could be the lead back in a run-first offense behind a strong offensive line to start the regular season.
If Dobbins needs more time to get acclimated (or the team is smart and brings him along slowly), Davis will get a solid snap share and could factor in as a goal line back to begin the year.
The worst-case scenario for Mike Davis drafters would be an announcement that J.K. Dobbins is ready to start Week 1, but even then, it costs so little to draft Davis that it wouldn’t stop anybody’s team from winning a week.
Ultimately, Mike Davis is an excellent dart throw in the last few rounds of fantasy drafts, especially for fantasy managers who draft J.K. Dobbins or try a Zero-RB approach in fantasy.
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