Week 14 at Cleveland Browns
Lamar Jackson had just 107 yards passing, two touchdowns and a pick on Tuesday night against the Cowboys, but he added 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground, turning in a very “Lamar-esque” day. It was a nice flashback to last season, when three touchdowns and nearly 100 yards rushing were a regular occurrence.
This week, Jackson faces a Browns defense that ranks 23rd in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. Jackson played well against the Browns earlier this season and coming off a good game, he should be considered a solid option once again. We have him ranked just inside our top-10, making him a QB1 in all league formats.
Week 13 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Lamar Jackson only had 186 yards, a touchdown and a pick two weeks ago against the Titans in an overtime loss. He added 51 yards rushing, however, and he has at least 50 yards rushing in all but two games this season. He’s not lighting the world on fire, but he still puts up a high enough floor to make him a must-start every week.
This is a great matchup for Jackson against a Cowboys defense that ranks 29th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. He had COVID last week, so watch his status going into the game. Make sure you have a backup plan available, but if he’s active, he should stomp on this Dallas defense. Assuming he’s good to go, start him as an elite fantasy option in all formats.
Week 12 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Lamar Jackson only had 186 yards, a touchdown and a pick last week against the Titans in an overtime loss. He added 51 yards rushing, however, and he has at least 50 yards rushing in all but two games this season. He’s not lighting the world on fire, but he still puts up a high enough floor to make him a must-start every week.
This week, he’ll face a Steelers defense that ranks first in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this year. He had 208 yards passing, two touchdowns, two picks and 65 rushing yards the last time he faced this defense and the Ravens will need him to do better than that if they’re going to pull out a badly-needed win after dropping three of their last four. Jackson’s rushing production makes him worth starting in most leagues, but fantasy owners will hope he can keep the turnovers under control this week.
Update: The game has been moved to Wednesday AND Lamar Jackson has COVID, so make sure you have a backup plan available.
Week 11 vs. Tennessee Titans
Lamar Jackson had 249 yards, two touchdowns and a pick against the Patriots last week, and he added 55 yards rushing. It was a quality game for him, albeit far from the spectacular numbers we grew used to seeing from him last season. Jackson is still on pace for 932 rushing yards this season, which gives him upside and a nice floor each week.
Jackson has a great matchup this week against a Titans defense that ranks 28th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. Expect Jackson to get back on track as he keeps the Ravens in the hunt for a playoff spot. We have him ranked as a top-five option in all league formats.
Week 10 at New England Patriots
Lamar Jackson was an efficient 19-of-23 against the Colts last week for 170 yards, leading the Ravens to their sixth victory of the season. Luckily for fantasy owners, he added 58 yards and a touchdown rushing. Jackson isn’t putting up the numbers he did a year ago, but he’s still a very good fantasy quarterback, averaging 58.6 rushing yards per game and accounting for 15 total touchdowns compared to just four interceptions.
This isn’t a great matchup for Jackson, who faces a Patriots defense that ranks number one in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this year. However, the defense has been banged up and just gave up three touchdown passes to Joe Flacco and the Jets. Expect Jackson to put together a solid game with his usual high upside on the ground. We continue to have him ranked inside our top-10 and he’s a must-start every week.
Week 9 at Indianapolis Colts
Lamar Jackson struggled to throw the ball against the Steelers last week, with 208 yards and a pair of interceptions, but he also threw two touchdowns and added 65 yards on 16 rushing attempts. It was a tough matchup for the Ravens, and a bitter battle that culminated in a game-winning drive by the Steelers.
Jackson faces a Colts defense this week that ranks seventh in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. With a tough matchup, we have Jackson ranked as a lower-end QB1, instead of his usual elite status, but he should still be active in all leagues. His ground production allows him to make up for subpar passing stats, and that should continue even against a good defense.
Week 8 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Lamar Jackson got back to his rushing ways after just two carries and three yards in Week 5. Before the bye last week, he ran for 108 yards and a touchdown in a victory over the Eagles, and threw for 186 yards and a touchdown as well. The Ravens are off to a 5-1 start to the season, and Jackson has 12 total touchdowns and only two interceptions.
This week, Jackson faces a Steelers defense that ranks 11th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. Last year, this defense forced three interceptions out of Jackson, but he still managed 70 rushing yards. Expect a battle, and temper your Jackson expectations against a solid defense, but he’s still a QB1 in all league formats because of what he can do on the ground and his ability to score in bunches.
Week 6 at Philadelphia Eagles
Lamar Jackson had a quiet, but effective outing against the Bengals last week, tossing a pair of touchdowns and an interception to go with 180 yards in a blowout victory. Jackson hasn’t been scoring at his 2019 pace, but he’s still a dual-threat option with incredible weekly upside. Despite just three yards rushing last week, he’s still on pace for 762 yards on the ground and 32 total touchdowns. Still QB1 numbers.
This week, Jackson faces an Eagles defense that was just torched by Ben Roethlisberger for three touchdown passes and 38 total points. The Eagles rank 19th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. Expect Jackson to have success against a vulnerable secondary. He remains an elite option in all league formats and should always be active.
Week 5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson got back to his ground production last week, rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown, including a 50-yarder that reminded us just how dynamic he is. He also threw for 193 yards, two touchdowns and a pick in a lopsided victory over Washington. Jackson continues to be one of the most exciting players in football and his work on the ground gives him a high fantasy floor every week.
The Bengals actually rank 15th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks, but they rank 21st against running backs. Jackson should provide a healthy dose of both this week, and the only risk factor is the Ravens winning by too much early on and Jackson resting late in the game. The Bengals have been able to put up points though, so here’s thinking Jackson plays all game and exploits this matchup. Start him.
Week 4 at Washington Football Team
Lamar Jackson had a forgettable game against the Chiefs last week, passing for just 97 yards and a touchdown in a crushing loss to the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Jackson did add 83 yards on the ground, as he’s prone to do, but it was one of his worst fantasy performances since taking over as a starter. Fantasy owners shouldn’t fret however, as the Chiefs defense has been solid this season and Jackson remains one of the most exciting players in football.
This week, he’ll face a Washington defense that gave up an efficient two touchdowns to Baker Mayfield last week. The Football Team has been better than expected defensively, ranking 18th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks, but that’s still bottom-half of the league. Jackson is a must-start every week and look for him to get back on track against Washington.
