The 2019 regular season is finally here and that means the end of fantasy draft season. Put away your mock drafts, it’s time to send the players you actually selected out into the world and see what fantasy goodness they can come back with.
The Baltimore Ravens take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the season. Here are some thoughts on which Ravens you need to be including in your fantasy lineups for the week ahead, as well as which you can probably leave on your bench.
START – QB, Lamar Jackson
The Dolphins have pretty much made it clear that they don’t intend on competing in 2019. This is good news for all players going up against them for fantasy purposes, with Lamar Jackson getting the first crack at them. Jackson’s rushing ability gives him one of the safest floors of any fantasy quarterback this season. The Dolphins may not be able to stop him from spreading his wings as a passer, either. But it would be a surprise if Jackson was forced to get near the 30 pass attempts per game he expects this season.
START – RB, Mark Ingram
Like his quarterback, Mark Ingram should benefit from a positive game script against the Dolphins and make his Ravens debut one to remember. Even when Miami was trying in 2018, they were still unable to stop running backs taking fantasy points off them. 14 running backs rushed for at least 50 yards in a game against them last season, with five running backs going over 100. Ingram is the only player in the NFL with at least six rushing touchdowns in each of the last five seasons. No one should be surprised if he finds the end zone at least once on Sunday.
START – Ravens Defense
The Ravens defense is not all that it once was, but there is still some talent on show on that side of the ball. Bolstered by free-agent acquisition Earl Thomas, the Ravens should be among the highest-scoring defenses in Week 1. Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has 148 interceptions in 141 career games and has posted an interception rate above 4% in two of his last three seasons.
Fitzpatrick won’t be helped by the absence of Laremy Tunsil, who the Dolphins traded to Houston this week. Even with Tunsil in the lineup, the Dolphins allowed their quarterback to be sacked on 10.3% of their dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the NFL. One can only speculate how porous the offensive line will be without Tunsil.
SIT – Baltimore Pass Catchers
The Ravens are projected to lead early and for most of the game against Miami. This should mean that they will lean heavily on their ground game, with Jackson and Ingram the major beneficiaries. But it also means it’s unlikely any Baltimore pass catchers are worth starting in Week 1. The volume is unlikely to be there, plus we still don’t know how the targets are going to be divvied up among the wide receivers and tight ends. It would be best to leave it a week, and see if Week 1 offers an insight into this as we move forward.
