In years gone by, a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks would have been seen as something of a defensive slugfest. Times have changed, however, as both of these sides defenses are no longer what they once were. The Ravens are second in points scored this season and the Seahawks are fourth. The Seahawks have allowed the 12th-most points against them, only six more than the team in 13th spot . . . Baltimore.
The Ravens are 4-2 after winning their last two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The 5-1 Seahawks are on a three-game winning streak and have scored at least 27 points in each of their last four games.
It’s a match that should offer plenty for players in fantasy football circles. Here, I’ll offer my thoughts on players to start and players to sit this week. Mark Andrews, like Lamar Jackson, can now be considered a weekly starter. This is due to his form, and the utter wasteland that the tight end landscape is around the league.
SIT – RB, Mark Ingram
Mark Ingram finished as the RB14 in Week 6, his highest finish since Week 1. His fantasy day was saved by his scoring seventh rushing touchdown of the season, as he was held to 52 yards rushing. This marked the third game in a row that he has rushed for 71 yards for fewer.
The Seahawks have allowed the 8th most PPR points to opposition backfields over their last five games, thanks in large part to their allowing six rushing touchdowns in that span. Only Nick Chubb has rushed for more than 69 yards against them.
Ingram’s reliance on touchdowns is making him hard to trust, especially given his lack of usage as a pass-catcher. He has a single game with more than two receptions all season.
START IF NECESSARY – WR, Miles Boykin
Marquise Brown is expected to miss out on Sunday after not taking part in practice all week. This should mean more opportunities for fellow rookie Miles Boykin. Boykin played on a season-high 59.2% of the Ravens offensive snaps in Week 6, but the Ravens’ success on the ground kept him to just three targets.
Boykin has only seven receptions so far in his first season. But two of them have been for touchdowns. He is also something of an unrecognized deep threat. Brown’s average depth of target this season is 14.63. Boykins is 14.64.
The Ravens will likely be forced to and want to pass more against the Seahawks than they did versus the Bengals. Wide receivers have caught 27 of 50 targets against the Seahawks in their last two games, delivering 365 yards and a touchdown.
I’m not suggesting that Boykin is going to smash this week. But in deeper leagues, he’s certainly in play as a WR3/Flex option.
SIT – Ravens DEF
Both the Ravens and Seahawks are inside the top ten in terms of sack rate on offense, which would make you think that the Ravens DEF would be something of a good play this week. They have managed seven fantasy points in each of their last two games, after all.
It would be foolish to trust any unit going up against arguably the league MVP Russell Wilson, however. Wilson leads the NFL with a 7.4% touchdown rate, and the Seahawks are averaging 268 passing yards per game. Only 8.3% of their offensive drives in 2019 have ended with a turnover.
By contrast, the Ravens have allowed on 41.9% of the drives against them, “good” for the 5th highest rate in the NFL this season. Despite blitzing on 49.3% of their defensive snaps, the highest rate in the league, the Ravens have only 11 sacks all season, coming at a 5% rate.
