Week 8 vs. Miami Dolphins
Mike Wallace took a vicious hit last week against the Vikings and left early with a concussion. Even if he plays this week, it’s hard to imagine any of the Ravens wide receivers doing well with Joe Flacco in the midst of such a frustrating season. If he’s active, he has some potential against an inconsistent Miami team. They gave up 3 touchdown passes to the Jets last week, including 2 to the WR position. Wallace is probably too risky to trust in most leagues, however.
Week 6 vs. Chicago Bears
Mike Wallace only caught 3 passes last week against the Raiders, but he wound up with 133 yards and his second straight double-digit fantasy performance. Wallace is a boom-or-bust option in most weeks. With how shaky QB Joe Flacco has looked this season, it’s hard to trust him. Plus, the Bears plucky defense has been surprisingly average this year, and are allowing only 7.0 yards per pass attempt, 14th in the league.
Week 5 at Oakland Raiders
Mike Wallace had his first decent game of the season last week, catching 6 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Wallace may have been extra motivated against his former team, but he showed last season he could be a viable fantasy starter on occasion, making him worth adding in case the Ravens offense can get going. He’s too risky to start though, regardless of the matchup.
Week 2 vs. Cleveland Browns
Mike Wallace had a forgettable start to the season, catching only one pass for eight yards in a shutout victory over the Bengals. The Ravens only threw the ball 17 times, and no one on the team was targeted more than 4 times.
It’s hard to imagine the game against Cleveland this weekend being any closer. While Cleveland was dead last in passing touchdowns allowed last season, the Ravens will likely try to keep with a ground-and-pound strategy. Expect more production from Wallace than last week, but he’s still a fringe WR3 option right now.
Week 1 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Wallace is coming off a 1,017-yard season with the Ravens and still has dangerous speed that can turn any play into a touchdown. Even at 31 years old, he’s a deep threat on a team with a strong-armed quarterback. Wallace will have some big weeks and some down weeks as his big-play potential often dictates his fantasy outcome.
To start the season, Wallace faces a Bengals team that held him in check last year. Wallace caught only seven balls for 90 total yards in two outings against Cincinnati during the 2016 regular season, and the Bengals allowed only 6.7 yards per pass attempt last season, fifth best in the league. This means they keep the deep-ball in check, which makes Wallace risky. We have him as a fringe WR3 option this week and fantasy owners should look elsewhere if possible.
Fantasy Upside
After a terrible 2015 season in Minnesota, Mike Wallace recorded the third 1,000-yard season of his career in Baltimore last year. In his first season with the Ravens, Wallace caught 72 balls for 1,017 yards and averaged 14.1 yards per reception – his highest total since 2011 with the Steelers. Wallace is a speed guy, and Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco likes to throw the deep ball. While he was miscast with the Vikings and the Dolphins before that, the Ravens offer an offensive system and quarterback that more fits his skill set.
Fantasy Downside
The Ravens WR1 has ranked 25th, 31st, 19th, and 22nd the past four seasons, making it unlikely the team will suddenly provide a prolific fantasy option at the WR position. While Wallace will have good weeks and has added bonus in quick-strike leagues, the track record doesn’t suggest a sudden and drastic uptick. Wallace is 30 years old now, which means his speed could start to decline at some point soon. Flacco is entering his 10th year, so he doesn’t seem to have an extra level to get to either as a producer of fantasy options.
2017 Bottom Line
Wallace will be an unpredictable but productive option in all fantasy leagues this year. However, he gets a bonus in both quick-strike and best-ball formats where his long-touchdowns and big plays are best taken advantage of. In most leagues, he’ll be worth considering as a WR3 option or bye week replacement. Wallace should see plenty of targets again, which gives him modest value, but at this point in his career, it’s hard to expect more than what he provided last season.
Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh
Mike Wallace caught two of five passes thrown his way last week against the Eagles, gaining 60 yards. He hasn’t scored in his last six games and hasn’t eclipsed 62 yards in that span, making him a risky fantasy option in the playoffs.
For those who believe in a player doing well against his former team however, there’s some upside this week. Wallace put up 124 yards including a 99-yard touchdown against the Steelers earlier this year, despite Pittsburgh allowing only 17 touchdown passes this season. Expect Wallace to be a boom-bust option, with likely more risk than reward.
Week 15 vs. Philadelphia
Mike Wallace was targeted eight times against the Patriots last Monday night, catching five passes for 52 yards. Wallace remains a deep threat, giving him big play upside in any given week, but he hasn’t put up big numbers on a consistent enough basis to make him a legit WR2 on a weekly basis.
This week, Wallace has a little upside against a Philadelphia pass defense that ranks 28th in the league in yards allowed per attempt. Wallace is a risky option to count on, but he should continue to get looks and has a bit of boom-bust potential for risky fantasy owners looking for upside at the WR3 spot.
Week 14 vs. New England
Mike Wallace had only 59 yards last week against the Dolphins, but he continues to get a heavy number of targets. He caught six of the seven passes thrown his way, and he remains a big play threat on any snap.
This week, Wallace will go up against a top-15 Patriots defense that only allows 6.9 yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks. While the Ravens will likely need to throw the ball to keep up with a prolific New England offense, it’ll be difficult to expect big plays from Wallace, which takes away some value. We have outside our top 40 this week, meaning you should look elsewhere if possible.
Week 13 vs. Miami
Mike Wallace only caught three passes for 57 yards last week against the Bengals, but he’s been a fairly steady low-end WR3 option all year with upside. He has at least 50 yards in seven straight games and has been targeted at least six times in all but two games this year.
This week, Wallace faces a Miami pass defense that ranks ninth in the league in passing yards allowed but gave up three touchdown passes to Colin Kaepernick last week. Wallace also had his best game of the season against the Steelers a few weeks back, so he gets a little boost for going up against his former team. Fantasy owners should consider him a solid WR3 or borderline WR2 this week.
