Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Lamar Jackson had a down game compared to his usual lofty numbers, with an efficient 204 yards and a touchdown in a blowout victory over the Texans last week. He continues to add rushing production though, with 54 yards on 16 carries. Jackson’s running gives him a high floor each week, and this should represent one of his lower outputs of the year. A nice day for a bad week.
Jackson will probably need to throw the ball more against the Chiefs this week. Last year, Jackson only put up 267 yards against the Chiefs, but he had 43 pass attempts and ran the ball eight times for 46 yards and a touchdown. Expect a lot of offense between these two juggernauts. Regardless of matchup, Jackson is a must-start every week because of the dynamic plays he makes with his legs and how efficient he’s been in all aspects of the game. Start him. Always.
Week 2 at Houston Texans
Lamar Jackson started the season with a bang, completing 20 of 25 passes for an efficient 275 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout victory over the Browns. He also added 45 yards on the ground. His ability to pad his fantasy point totals with consistent rushing numbers makes him one of the safest fantasy options in the league, and his lack of turnovers is impressive considering his aggressive style of play.
This week, Jackson will go up against a Texans defense that gave up three touchdown to Patrick Mahomes last week. Hard to know exactly what that means given the matchup, but the Texans defense has looked older and less productive in each of the last few seasons, so there’s cause for concern. Jackson is a must-start regardless of the matchup anyway though, and fantasy owners should have him as an automatic starter every week.
Week 1 vs. Cleveland Browns
Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP season where he threw for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions, then added an additional 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. Jackson’s ability to put up elite rushing totals gives him a high floor and tremendous upside each and every week, so it’s no surprise he was the consensus QB1 or QB2 in all league formats going into drafts this year.
The Browns ranked 23rd in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks last season, so the matchup looks great on paper. Cleveland should benefit from Myles Garrett returning from suspension, but they have question marks at linebacker and at safety. Jackson should have no trouble continuing his incredible production to start off the season. If you’ve got him, you drafted him to start him, so make sure he’s active this weekend against the Browns.
Fantasy Upside
Lamar Jackson is coming off an incredible fantasy season. He led the league with 36 touchdown passes, while adding another seven on the ground. He only threw for 3,127 yards, but also set the record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback with 1,206. Only five RUNNING BACKS ran for more yards than Jackson did in 2019. Jackson’s upside is tied to things staying largely the same as last year. He returns in the same offense, has a very good offensive line and has even more weapons to work with after the Ravens drafted running back J.K. Dobbins and wide receiver Devin Duvernay in the second and third round, respectively.
Fantasy Downside
There are only two potential downsides to Jackson. The first is durability. While he’s been healthy thus far, he’s had 323 rushing attempts in his first two years in the league. That’s a lot of hits for a quarterback to sustain, although Jackson seems to make smart decisions on which hits to take and which ones to avoid. The other downside is any kind of reasonable regression. That kind of rushing production, as well as the 36/6 TD/Interception rate from last season, will be hard to replicate.
2020 Bottom Line
Jackson is one of the most dynamic players in football and was a straight-up fantasy monster in 2019. There are smatterings of NFL analysts who have called Jackson’s rushing production unsustainable for the past two years, but at some point, we have to believe offensive coordinator Greg Roman is just going to let him run. The team has been constructed around what he does best and until they do something different or his body shows concrete signs of wearing down, fantasy owners shouldn’t hesitate to make him at least one of the top two quarterbacks on draft boards.
Week 16 at Cleveland Browns
If aliens came to the planet and challenged the Looney Toons to a game of football – or any sport really – they wouldn’t need to steal the powers from multiple athletes. All they would need is Lamar Jackson’s talent spread out over 11 two-way players. The Lamar-Stars would be diabolical, and the Toons wouldn’t stand a chance. Jackson not only broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 86 yards on the ground last week against the Jets, but he also threw five touchdown passes! He’s been a monster all season.
This week, he faces a Browns defense that ranks 25th in the league in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks, but it doesn’t really matter. Jackson would be an elite fantasy option even against a great defense, so facing the Browns is just another reason not to sit him. It is worth noting Cleveland forced Jackson into a pair of interceptions and a loss the last time they met, but he still managed three touchdowns and 66 yards rushing in that game, giving him an exceptionally high floor. Start him. Start him. Start him.
Week 15 vs. New York Jets
Lamar Jackson only had 145 yards passing last week against the Bills, but he threw three touchdown passes and added 40 yards on the ground. The Bills did a pretty good job containing the electric Jackson and he still produced multiple touchdowns and a Ravens victory. He’s been straight dynamite this season. Jackson needs only 23 more rushing yards to break Michael Vick’s single-season record for a quarterback.
This week, Jackson is questionable with a quad injury so fantasy owners need to make sure they watch the injury report before Thursday night’s game, especially considering it’s a short week for the Ravens. Still, as long as he’s active, he’s should be in all fantasy lineups. The Jets rank 22nd in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this year and Jackson is a must-start every week because of what he can do on the ground.
Week 14 at Buffalo Bills
In a tough matchup against the 49ers last week, Lamar Jackson still shined. While he only threw for 105 yards and a touchdown, he added 101 yards and another score on the ground. Jackson’s ability to put up big rushing totals gives him a high floor every week and he’s now just 23 yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing this season. He’ll be only the second quarterback in NFL history to do so, and he needs only 63 rushing yards to pass Michael Vick for the most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.
This week, keep Jackson active in all league formats, despite a difficult matchup against the Bills. Buffalo frustrated Dak Prescott into two fumbles and a pick last week and they rank 11th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. However, Jackson has been dynamite regardless of opponent this year, and he shouldn’t be on the bench for any reason while he’s healthy. Start him and be glad you drafted him.
Week 13 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Lamar Jackson only needed 20 pass attempts to completely dismantle the Rams last week. Jackson threw for only 169 yards, but he tossed five touchdowns and added 95 yards on the ground in another excellent performance. Jackson now has 24 touchdown passes, another six on the ground and has only thrown five interceptions – including none in his past six games. Jackson has led the Ravens to outscore their last three opponents by a combined 135-26.
This week, Jackson faces an elite 49ers defense. Only the Patriots rank higher in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. However, Jackson’s ability to thrive both running and throwing the ball gives him the highest floor of any fantasy quarterback regardless of matchup, and we have him ranked as an elite option despite going up against a tough defense. Don’t even think about sitting him.
Week 12 at Los Angeles Rams
One time, Lamar Jackson went to see a shuttle launch for a new mission to space. The astronauts told him he wasn’t a good fit for space travel and he should consider switching to a more ground-based career choice. Jackson said “I’ll show you!” and when the shuttle took off, Jackson jumped, from a standing position, into the air, faster and higher than the shuttle. As he passed by the window and saw the faces of the bewildered flight crew, he smiled, winked and did a kickflip off the rocket before landing safely back on the ground. The force of Jackson’s kick knocked the rocket all the way into another solar system, but Jackson still scored 50 fantasy points that day.
Jackson has been unstoppable this year. He’s accounted for 25 touchdowns and only five interceptions, is on pace for over 1,260 rushing yards and has the Ravens in the driver’s seat for not only the AFC North title, but for a first-round bye as well. The Rams rank 14th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this season, but the matchups really don’t matter anymore. Jackson should be in your lineup every week. Don’t even consider benching him.
Week 11 vs. Houston Texans
It should be illegal what Lamar Jackson did to the Bengals last week. In a 49-13 drubbing, Jackson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and another score. He also completed 15 of his 17 passes and simply embarrassed the Cincinnati defense. Jackson has been phenomenal this season and now has 702 rushing yards. He’s on pace for 37 total touchdowns with 21 through nine games.
This week, Jackson faces a Texans defense that ranks 23rd in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this year. Expect Jackson to have another great day in a game that should be closer in score than the beatdown they just gave the Bengals, forcing a more aggressive game plan. Jackson is a must-start every week in all league formats.
