Week 1 at Oakland Raiders
Joe Flacco will make his regular season debut for the Broncos on Monday night in Oakland. Despite Denver having five preseason games, he didn’t appear in much action. Flacco will have his full complement of WRs, including Emmanuel Sanders, who appears to be fully recovered from last season’s Achilles injury. He still has a strong arm, but you have to wonder just how in sync he’ll be with his new team. Even though the Raiders secondary isn’t great, Flacco should be considered at best a QB2 option.
Fantasy Upside
After losing his job, due to a hip injury, to rookie Lamar Jackson last season in Baltimore, Joe Flacco will be the Broncos clear-cut starting QB heading into 2019. Prior to playing in just nine games last year, Flacco had missed only six contests (all in ’15) during his career. In his 10 full seasons with the Ravens, he averaged 18 TDs, tossing a career-high 27 in 2014. He averaged over 3,200 passing yards in Baltimore, but was consistent, throwing for more than 4,000 yards once.
Fantasy Downside
Not known as a mobile QB, Flacco has been sacked over 330 times and, at 34 years old, isn’t getting any faster. Something the Broncos QBs have failed to do the past couple years is to not turn the ball over. Flacco has had some trouble in this area over his career, throwing at least 12 picks in a season eight times and he’s lost 56 career fumbles. While the Broncos offense is designed to utilize Flacco’s arm, long completions haven’t been part of his game the past couple seasons. In 2016-`7 with the Ravens, he finished 20th and tied for 26th in completions of at least 20 yards.
Bottom Line
Flacco is a big QB at 6’4” and 245 pounds and has a strong arm. He’ll have some good weapons to show off his arm to with a solid receiving corps that includes veteran Emmanuel Sanders and second-year players Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. The Broncos drafted TE Noah Fant in the first round and you can be sure he’ll quickly become a part of the passing attack. Throughout Flacco’s career, something the Ravens seemed to lack was that big play WR, as the franchise has seen most of its success come from a vaunted defense. There’s still a lot of uncertainty with the Denver offense heading into the season and Flacco remains at best a middle of the pack QB and should only be drafted as a backup or second QB option.
Week 11 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Flacco had only 206 yards in a loss to the Steelers two weeks ago before the bye. After a nice start to the season, Flacco has returned to his normal level of mediocrity in recent weeks. He hasn’t thrown for over 300 yards in any of his last five games and has posted four touchdowns and four interceptions during that same span.
This week, Flacco is nursing a hip injury that has his status up in the air. Regardless of whether he’s active or not, fantasy owners should leave him on waivers, even against a Bengals defense that got torched last week by the Saints. He’s too risky and is only a fringe option even when he’s 100 percent.
Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Flacco struggled against the Panthers defense last week, throwing for only 192 yards and a touchdown while tossing a pair of interceptions in a lopsided loss. Flacco has played fairly well for much of the season, but this was a bad game for the Ravens offense.
This week, Flacco faces a Steelers defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, giving him some upside as a low-end QB2. He put up 363 yards and a pair of touchdowns when these two teams met earlier in the season, and the Pittsburgh offense should be good enough to keep Baltimore from abandoning the run. Flacco is too inconsistent to fully trust, but his upside makes him a viable bye-week filler in deep leagues.
Week 8 at Carolina Panthers
Joe Flacco threw for 279 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Saints last week. Those aren’t bad numbers, but in the modern NFL, Flacco should’ve been able to put up more against the vulnerable New Orleans defense. Flacco is still enjoying an impressive TD/Int ratio of 2.75, the best of his career. He’s also on pace for a career-high 4,725 yards.
This week, Flacco faces a Panthers defense that has been very average against the pass this year. His history as an inconsistent fantasy option works against him when it isn’t a spectacular matchup, making it hard to trust him in most weeks. Still, his pace and production with his new weapons make him an interesting bye-week filler or second quarterback option in most leagues.
Week 7 vs. New Orleans Saints
Joe Flacco was quiet last week in a shut-out victory over the Titans. He threw for 238 yards, a touchdown, and a pick as he handed the ball off 30 times to the Ravens’ trio of running backs. Flacco is currently averaging 298 passing yards per game, which would be a career high for him, and he’s on pace for 24 touchdown passes, which would be third-most in his career. He’s not a great starter, but a decent fallback option and backup from time to time.
Only the Buccaneers and the Falcons have allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks than the Saints this season, and Flacco should be forced to throw the ball against the Saints’ prolific offense. Fantasy owners should consider Flacco a strong streaming option this week with a great matchup.
Week 6 at Tennessee Titans
Joe Flacco and the entire Ravens offense struggled against the Browns last week in a defensive struggle. Flacco ended up with 298 yards and an interception in a disappointing loss. The Ravens will need to take care of business against lesser teams in the future if they expect to win the division and make some noise in the playoffs. This week, Flacco faces a tough Titans defense that has allowed the third-least points per game to opposing teams this year. Look elsewhere for streaming options.
Week 5 at Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco continued his productive play last Sunday night against the Steelers, throwing for 363 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a huge victory. Flacco is averaging 313 yards per game and has eight touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. He’s on pace for 5,008 yards and 32 touchdowns, which would be career-highs in both categories.
This week, Flacco faces a Browns defense that ranks 11th in fantasy points allowed per game to the quarterback position this year. Flacco should be able to find some room against a young, emerging secondary, and if you’re in a two-quarterback league or in need of a streaming option, Flacco could be worth considering as a quick rental.
Week 4 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Flacco only threw one touchdown pass last week in a win over the Broncos, but he’s currently off to a great start to the season. It’s still very early, but he’s on pace for 32 touchdowns and over 4,700 yards this season, both of which would be career-highs. Flacco is unlikely to keep up that kind of pace, but it’s encouraging to see after a dismal season a year ago.
Typically, all bets are off when the Steelers and Ravens play, but the Pittsburgh pass defense has been a sieve so far this season, giving Flacco some streaming upside. Only the Saints and Chiefs have allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Flacco has some value in fantasy leagues that require two quarterbacks, and for owners needing a filler for Jimmy Garoppolo or Cam Newton.
Week 3 vs. Denver Broncos
Joe Flacco struggled in the first quarter against the Bengals on Thursday night, but playing from behind all game turned into 55 passing attempts for 376 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also threw two picks and looked wildly out of position on select gadget plays featuring rookie Lamar Jackson behind center.
This week Flacco may struggle against a dominant Broncos pass rush. Von Miller is a monster, and the Ravens' offensive line will need to do a better job of protection against the Broncos' front seven than they did against the Bengals, especially on the interior. Expect a low-scoring, more even matchup, making Flacco’s numbers look average-to-below-average. He should stay on the bench this week.
