Week 7 at Arizona
Joe Flacco had 343 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions against the 49ers last week as the Ravens suffered another defeat. The Ravens are now 1-5 on the season and are in danger of finishing last in the AFC North division if they don’t right the ship. Flacco has been inconsistent moving the ball and the defense has struggled.
This week, things likely won’t get much better against a Cardinals defense that is top-10 in the league in passing yards allowed per game, and leads the league with 11 interceptions. It could be a long day for Flacco, and fantasy owners should shy away from using him this week.
Week 6 at San Francisco
Joe Flacco struggled to get the passing game moving last week in a loss to the Browns, and he finished with just 210 yards and one passing touchdown. He did add to his fantasy totals by running in two goal-line touchdowns, but that’s not production fantasy owners can count on each week.
This week, Flacco has another excellent matchup against a 49ers defense that gave up 441 yards to Eli Manning last week and ranks 29th in the league in passing yards allowed this season. Still, Flacco is too inconsistent to warrant serious fantasy consideration, and he remains a QB2 or backup type player in most leagues.
Week 5 vs. Cleveland
Joe Flacco had 189 yards, a touchdown and a pick in a narrow victory over the Steelers last week. The Ravens ran the ball more than they threw it for the first time this season, after sending Flacco back to pass 49 times in Week 3. He ended up with 33 pass attempts and the Ravens balanced attack prevailed (with the help of some missed field goals by Pittsburgh).
This week, Flacco faces a Browns defense that got torched by Philip Rivers last week to the tune of 358 yards and three touchdowns. The Browns rank in the bottom half of the league in pass defense and have only picked off one pass so far this season. Even with a pretty good matchup, Flacco is a risky start for fantasy owners because of how inconsistent he is. He’s not a bad QB2 or bye week filler, but shouldn’t be considered a starter tier option.
Week 4 at Pittsburgh
Joe Flacco had a nice game against the Bengals last week, exchanging late game heroics with Andy Dalton before finally losing out in the end. He finished with 362 yards, a pair of touchdowns and a pick. Flacco looks a little more comfortable in his new offense each week and the Ravens will need him if they hope to right their 0-3 ship.
Flacco will face the always daunting Pittsburgh Steelers defense this week, a team that shut down the 49ers and Rams in the last two consecutive games. Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore is always a tough matchup, but Thursday night on the road is a risky situation for fantasy owners to count on Flacco. He's a borderline starter, but most likely should be considered a QB2 in most leagues.
Week 3 vs. Cincinnati
Joe Flacco put up 384 yards, two touchdowns and a pick in a losing effort against the Raiders last week, but it was good to see the veteran score some fantasy points after such a horrible Week 1 performance. Flacco will continue to be an up-and-down fantasy option, but he showed on Sunday he can still light it up occasionally.
This week, he’s not a very good option against a stout Cincinnati pass defense. The Bengals held Philip Rivers in check last week and abused the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks in Week 1. Fantasy owners should keep Flacco as a backup QB on their roster, but he shouldn’t be used this week.
Week 2 at Oakland
Joe Flacco had a terrible start to the season, throwing for just 117 yards and two interceptions, including a pick six that ended up being the difference in the game. With Flacco leading the way, the Ravens only managed a pitiful 173 yards of offense against the Broncos in an ugly game between two supposed AFC contenders.
This week, Flacco should have an easier time against the Raiders, who were destroyed by the Bengals last week. Flacco has never been a consistent fantasy option though, and even with a much better matchup, it’s unlikely he’ll produce good enough fantasy numbers to make him worth having in your lineup. Keep him on the bench until we see him look a bit more comfortable in the Ravens new offense.
Week 1 vs. Denver
Joe Flacco gets to start the season against a Denver Broncos defense that gave up 29 touchdown passes a year ago, but will feature a new rookie pass rusher in Shane Ray. Flacco is difficult to project as he’ll be running a new offense under offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, which could mean good things for the veteran out of Delaware, but there could also be an adjustment period.
Most likely, Flacco is due for a usual outing for him, making him a mid-tier fantasy quarterback who is only really viable in 2QB leagues. Expect around 250 yards and a touchdown pass, as we have him ranked 20th on our QB board to start the season.
In his 7th NFL season, Joe Flacco set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns with 3,986 and 27, respectively. These aren’t numbers that pop out at you, but they were good enough to make him the league’s 16th highest rated passer and enough to make him a viable spot starter in most fantasy leagues for desperate owners.
Fantasy Upside
Flacco is coming off one of his best years and he’ll have a new offensive coordinator in Marc Trestman, who was responsible for the gaudy passing statistics in the Chicago the past couple of seasons. Trestman is known as a quarterback guru and Flacco will have rookies Maxx Williams and Breshad Perriman to throw the ball to, giving him some new faces to work with in his eighth season.
Fantasy Downside
Losing Torrey Smith in free agency and learning a new system could be factors for Flacco this year, but his ultimate downside is his body of work, and that of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens like to run the ball and play good defense, which has been a winning formula for them for well over a decade. Flacco has always been a little inconsistent and has never been a consistent fantasy producer. While there’s reason for optimism in Baltimore, the likelihood that he’ll suddenly become a QB1 option for fantasy owners is small considering his history.
Bottom Line
Flacco comes in at 16th on our list this year, which is right around where he’s always been. He should continue to be a solid, but not spectacular fantasy option and a very reliable QB2 or backup option on fantasy rosters. He’s a nice get for some added depth late in the draft or for the minimum dollar amount in salary cap leagues.
Divisional Round – Joe Flacco vs. New England
Joe Flacco had a nice game against the Steelers in the wildcard round last week, putting up 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns. These weren’t huge numbers, but he started to look a little like Playoff Flacco, which has to make Baltimore fans feel better going into New England.
The Pats were middle of the road against the pass this year, but played better as the season wore on. There are a lot of good quarterbacks playing this weekend, which hurts Flacco’s value. We have him near the back end of our rankings this week, and if you’re stuck with him, then you’re not off to a good start at the QB position this week. Look elsewhere if you can.
Wildcard Weekend – Joe Flacco vs. Pittsburgh
Joe Flacco had a nice second half to finish the regular season with a win over the Browns and a playoff berth. He had 312 yards and two touchdown passes, without turning the ball over. Flacco finished the season 12th in passing yards, coming up just 14 yards shy of what would be his first 4,000 yard season.
Flacco will face the Steelers this week, and while Pittsburgh struggled against the pass this year, allowing 30 passing touchdowns and over 250 yards per game through the air, Flacco’s inconsistency in general and the propensity for these two teams to duke it out in tough, dragged out battles makes him a risky fantasy start. You should have better options in most league formats.
