Fantasy Upside
Joe Flacco is nursing a back injury that has a chance of lingering into the regular season, so it’s possible Ryan Mallett could see some action during the first couple of games. Mallett has a rocket for an arm and has shown flashes of ability in limited opportunities throughout his career.
Fantasy Downside
Mallett’s accuracy has always been an issue, and at age 29, it’s unlikely he’ll ever take the next step to becoming a regular starter. Even if he does start a couple of games, there’s no risk of him taking over the job from the veteran Flacco, and the Ravens don’t provide prolific fantasy QB numbers anyway.
2017 Bottom Line
There’s no reason to draft Mallett. Flacco is a borderline QB2 option in most leagues, so investing in his backup makes very little sense. If Flacco’s back injury gets worse, then Mallett could develop into a potential streaming option, but that’s his ceiling.
Week 17 vs. Cincinnati
Ryan Mallett had a surprisingly decent showing against the Steelers last week, as the Ravens stunned their division rivals with a narrow victory. Mallett, in his first start as a Raven, put up 274 yards and a touchdown, and he didn’t turn the ball over, which helped the team squeeze out a victory.
Mallett faces a tough Bengals defense this week that has given up only 17 touchdown passes this year, tied for third in the league. He’s a risky start anyway with how depleted the Raven offense is, and he should remain on waivers in all league formats. He’s basically playing for a shot somewhere next year, or for a role as Joe Flacco’s 2016 backup.
Week 5 at Indianapolis
In the blowout loss to the Falcons last week, Ryan Mallett was very ineffective, throwing for just 150 yards on 27 attempts. He was benched for Brian Hoyer, who led the Texans to three meaningless touchdowns. Despite the poor outing, Mallett remains the starter and will be facing a Colts defense that is 23rd against the pass. Having Arian Foster back will help to keep the defense honest with the run game. While he doesn’t make for a strong fantasy play, Mallett is a serviceable option if your normal starter is out or on a bye week.
Week 4 at Atlanta
Ryan Mallett is starting to get this QB thing down. He did a good job of managing the Texans first win last Sunday versus the Bucs, finishing 24-of-39 for 228 yards and a TD. Houston controlled the clock for over 36 minutes and ran 30 more plays than Tampa Bay. Ryan did a good job of spreading the ball around to six different receivers and has thrown one touchdown in each of the first three contests this season. The ground game was dominant in the victory and could get even better if Arian Foster is back this week. If he is, it should take some pressure off Mallett, who should still be considered no more than a QB2 option.
Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay
At Carolina last Sunday, Ryan Mallett tried to lead his team back from a two-score fourth quarter deficit, but fell just short. In the loss, Ryan was 27-for-58 for 244 yards with one TD and one INT. He also ran the ball for a six-yard score. The game plan definitely didn’t call for Mallett to throw the ball 58 times, but Houston was behind and the ground game totaled just 61 yards. This week, Ryan will be facing a Bucs defense that is allowing 316 yards per game. However, Mallett should only be started if you’re out of other QB options.
Week 2 vs. Carolina
After Brian Hoyer was ineffective in his Texan debut last week against the Chiefs, Ryan Mallett took over in the fourth quarter and led the team to a touchdown and a field goal. He finished 8-for-13 for 98 yards with a TD toss and two-point conversion, both to DeAndre Hopkins. While HC Bill O'Brien is trying to keep his starting QB a secret, it looks like Mallett will be the man under center. However, the Panthers defense shut down Jacksonville in the opener and without Arian Foster, Houston's offense will likely struggle against Carolina. Neither Mallett nor Hoyer make for a good fantasy start in Week 2.
Fantasy Upside
Ryan Mallet's year spent in HC Bill O'Brien's offense in 2014 means he knows the system, has the frame and arm that O'Brien likes and he even flashed some promise last season. He's also backing up a starter in Bryan Hoyer, who performed as poorly down the stretch in Cleveland last year as a QB possibly can. The possibility of Hoyer not holding onto the No. 1 spot is not a huge reach.
Fantasy Downside
Hoyer is not totally in the dark when it comes to the offense, having been coached by O'Brien in New England and he should have knowledge of at least some parts of O'Brien's system. From a size and arm strength standpoint, he's at a disadvantage to Mallett, but Hoyer has something that Mallett doesn't: a full season of starts and a history commanding a huddle.
Bottom Line
If for some reason you are stuck with Hoyer as one your starters, Mallett might be worth keeping in mind should you find the waiver-wire pickings slim.
Week 12 – Ryan Mallett vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Making his first NFL start last week in Cleveland, Ryan Mallett led his team to victory. He finished 20-of-30 for 211 yards with two TDs and one INT. His first career touchdown toss went to J.J. Watt on a beautiful two-yard fade pass and he followed that up with a 20-yard strike to Garrett Graham.
Mallett definitely has a lot more zip on the ball than Ryan Fitzpatrick and was able to keep the offense on the field for nearly 34 minutes, even without Arian Foster. This week he’ll get to play in front of the home crowd, but will be facing a Bengals defense that slowed down the Saints explosive offense at the Superdome last week. Mallett makes for a low-end QB2 play on Sunday.
Week 11 – Ryan Mallett vs. Cleveland Browns
After Ryan Fitzpatrick had been ineffective for most of the season, Ryan Mallett gets the call to QB the Texans. He is in his fourth season, but has spent most of that time backing up Tom Brady, so he has only one career completion. Mallett has some good weapons in Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins and Arian Foster, however he’ll be facing a Cleveland defense that is 12th against the pass. If you picked up Mallett, it's better to keep him on your bench for now and monitor his performance.
