Week 6 at New York Giants
Joe Flacco didn’t play great against Washington last week, putting up only 210 yards and a touchdown in a loss. Flacco was supposed to be a quality streaming option but failed to deliver in Week 5. He remains a QB2 option in most leagues week-to-week.
He’ll face the Giants this week, a team that gives up 262 passing yards per game, but has only allowed six passing touchdowns all season, tied for tenth in the league. Expect more pedestrian numbers from Flacco this week. He has limited upside and should only be used as a desperation start in most leagues.
Week 5 vs. Washington
Joe Flacco had a quality game against Oakland last week, putting up 298 yards and a touchdown through the air and adding another touchdown on the ground. Flacco is a solid bye-week filler each week, and while he couldn’t pull off the win against the Raiders, he has the Ravens off to a 3-1 start.
This week, Flacco has another good matchup. He faces a Washington pass defense that ranks in the bottom third of the league with 281 passing yards allowed per game so far this season. Expect borderline QB1 numbers from Flacco again this week, which makes him a nice high-floor security option for owners needing a streaming option.
Week 4 vs. Oakland
Joe Flacco came away with a win last week against the Jaguars, but aside from running in a touchdown, he had a very disappointing game from a fantasy perspective. He threw for only 214 yards despite attempting 40 passes, and he had two interceptions and no touchdown passes. Flacco and the Ravens are still figuring things out on the offensive side of the ball, but they’re winning while they’re doing it.
Flacco is actually a pretty good streaming option this week. He faces a Raiders defense that ranks dead-last in passing yards allowed so far this season, and has allowed seven passing touchdowns through three weeks. Flacco isn’t an elite option by any means, but he should be good for borderline QB1 numbers in a nice matchup, making him a great bye week or injury replacement.
Week 3 at Jacksonville
Joe Flacco struggled to start the game against the Browns last week, but wound up with 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with two interceptions. Most importantly, he got the win and the Ravens are 2-0 and tied with the Steelers for first place in the AFC North. Flacco remains an inconsistent fantasy option in general, but he looks healthy and happy with new target Mike Wallace and new-old target Dennis Pitta.
This week, Flacco has some sneaky start potential against a Jaguars pass defense that has given up six touchdown passes through the first two games. Flacco is too inconsistent historically to recommend him as a must-start, but if you were banking on one of the New England QBs or if you need a solid QB2 option, Flacco isn’t a bad option. He remains a very solid backup fantasy player.
Week 2 vs. Cleveland
Joe Flacco had a solid start to the season with 258 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Bills. He didn’t turn the ball over and completed 67 percent of his passes, which should be a good sign going into the new season. It was a defensive effort, but Flacco seemed to find his favorite WRs with regularity and was accurate for most of the afternoon.
This week, Flacco has some borderline QB1 upside against the Browns. Cleveland made rookie Carson Wentz look like a veteran in Week 1, and allowed an average of 2.125 passing touchdowns per game to opposing teams a year ago. Flacco is too inconsistent of a fantasy option to rely on every week, but if you’re a Russell Wilson owner or in need of an upside start at the QB spot, everything points to a nice game for Flacco.
Week 1 vs. Buffalo
Joe Flacco threw 14 touchdown passes in 10 games last season and averaged 279 yards per game. He then tore his ACL in November and missed the rest of the season. Flacco has never been a consistent fantasy producer, but he was quietly effective in his first year under Marc Trestman, and should continue to get opportunities to throw the ball this season, assuming he comes back strong and healthy.
He’ll face the Bills in Week 1, a team that struggled on defense last year and may struggle to improve with key departures in the front seven and injuries to their top two draft picks. Still, with the amount of QB depth around the league and coming off an injury, it’s probably better to take a wait-and-see approach with Flacco. He’s a borderline QB2 option this week at best, but has some backup and streaming value this year.
Fantasy Upside
Joe Flacco was quietly seventh in the league with 279 passing yards per game during the 10 games he played last season, and despite the Ravens struggles, he completed a career-high 64.4 percent of his passes. Also, his receiving corps this year should be an improvement over what he’s had in previous seasons. Mike Wallace has his flaws, but can still get deep. Breshad Perriman could be an upgrade after missing his rookie season with an injury. Steve Smith Sr. has decided to return. Flacco has a strong arm and with improved talent around him, he has a chance to rebound nicely.
Fantasy Downside
The Ravens have never been a team with big-time fantasy numbers from the quarterback position, and Flacco is coming off a torn ACL in November, so there’s a lot to be concerned about. He’s often been a feast-or-famine fantasy player during his career, making him more valuable as a backup quarterback in best-ball leagues or for matchup starts than as a QB1. Flacco might have improved play around him this year, and the Ravens may go further as a result, but he’s unlikely to suddenly become a standout fantasy option at 31 years old, where quarterbacks tend to start their decline.
2016 Bottom Line
The quarterback position has gotten deeper and deeper from a fantasy perspective over the past few years, and with the concerns about Flacco’s injury and consistency, there’s no reason to reach on him in any fantasy format. You can likely get him towards the end of your draft as a viable backup, or use him as a streaming option throughout the season, grabbing him off the waiver wire when you need to in most leagues.
Week 11 vs. St. Louis
Joe Flacco had 316 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Jaguars, but he also threw a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble in what turned out to be the Ravens seventh loss of the season. The Ravens season has slipped away from them, and Flacco’s inconsistency hasn’t helped the team or his fantasy owners.
This week, Flacco faces a tough Rams defense that is fifth in least passing yards allowed and tied with Denver for the least amount of touchdown passes given up to opposing offenses. There’s no reason to expect the Ravens to break out of their struggles this week against the Rams, and no reason to expect Flacco to put up solid numbers. He’s a fantasy backup at best and should be on the bench in all leagues this week.
Week 10 vs. Jacksonville
Joe Flacco had 319 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers before the bye and he ran in a score also. Flacco has been very inconsistent this season, but he can put up solid numbers occasionally, which makes him a solid backup on most fantasy rosters.
This week, Flacco faces a vulnerable Jaguars pass defense. They rank 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed and have only forced three interceptions all year. They’re allowing 7.6 yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks, which may make Flacco a decent bye week filler this week. We have him right around the top-10 in our rankings, and he’s solid starter in this matchup for those in need.
Week 7 vs. San Diego
Joe Flacco struggled against the Cardinals vaunted defense last week, finishing a losing Monday night effort with 252 yards, a touchdown and a pick. He was under pressure for most of the night, and wound up getting sacked three times as the Ravens fell to 1-6 on the season.
This week, Flacco should fare a little better against the Chargers. San Diego has given up 13 passing touchdowns so far this season and looked overmatched by the Oakland Raiders offense last week, surrendering 289 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Flacco isn’t consistent enough to warrant serious fantasy consideration, however, which makes this matchup the kind of thing that puts him into QB2 mode. If you can look elsewhere, you should.
