Week 9 is right around the corner, and the bye-week teams are not as bad as last week. Two teams, the Steelers and Titans, are on bye for Week 9, which gives fantasy managers more options for their fantasy lineups. This week we have the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Baltimore Ravens. This matchup should be interesting considering all the injuries the Ravens have suffered at the quarterback position. The Ravens lost both starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and backup QB Tyler Huntley during the game in Week 8. The Ravens are expected to start quarterback Joe Fagnano against the Jaguars in Week 9.
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Week 9 Thursday Night Breakdown
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens took two huge blows at the quarterback position, losing both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley for the rest of the season. Jackson left the game against the Buffalo Bills on the first offensive drive for the Ravens. Huntley wouldn’t be too far behind Jackson, who also left the game with a serious case of turf toe. Third-string quarterback Joe Fagnano will start for the Ravens against the Jaguars defense, and the matchup doesn’t look great for the rookie quarterback. Fagnano didn’t look good coming in relief against the Bills in Week 8 as he struggled to maintain drives. He also lost a fumble and threw an interception. Fagnano will be hard-pressed, even with a week of prep, going up against the second-best scoring defense in the league. With the recent injuries to the quarterback position, even in 2QB leagues, Fagnano is best left on the waiver wire. The Ravens also traded for Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, so this could be a one-off for the undrafted rookie.
The expectation is that the Jaguars’ defense will pay even more attention to Derrick Henry as the Ravens lean on the run game to help an inexperienced, young quarterback get through the game. Henry’s volume may be the thing that saves him this week. Henry is leading all running backs in rushing attempts this season with 158. Henry is also averaging four yards per carry heading into the matchup. Currently ranked RB10 in fantasy, it would be hard to bench Derrick Henry. Unless you’re rolling deep at running back and can pivot from a top-10 fantasy running back, you’re going to have Henry in your lineup. You just might not like the outcome. Derrick Henry is averaging 17.1 fantasy points per game, but the Jaguars defense is only allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game at 17.1. It could be a long night for Henry, especially if the Ravens get down early.
Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Jakobi Lane all take fantasy stock hits this week. Flowers put up a goose egg after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley went down. To expect a drastic change on a short week is a prayer. The Ravens’ passing game is likely going to stress fantasy managers out this week. Fantasy managers shouldn’t be starting Bateman anyway, as he’s averaging just 6.7 FPPG this season. Lane isn’t much better at 4.5 FPPG. Neither receiver should be on the radar this week with Joe Fagnano throwing the pill. It might be best to wait for Jacoby Brissett to see how he maneuvers the Ravens WR group. If you can, avoid starting Zay Flowers unless you’re like me and have no better options.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags have everything working in their favor for this game. Trevor Lawrence is a top fantasy quarterback after eight weeks of football. Currently ranking as the QB9, Lawrence is averaging 19 fantasy points per game. Lawrence also has nearly 1,700 passing yards with a 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Jaguars quarterback has shown improvement in another season under Liam Coen’s offense, and it’s paying off. The Ravens are allowing 18.1 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, ranking 15th among fantasy defenses in points allowed. Lawrence can also be a sneaky rusher. While he may not provide a ton of upside as a rusher, he has been prone to use his feet to get out of jams and score in the red zone. Lawrence should be in fantasy lineups this week.
The running back room is a little bit different. Leading back Bhayshul Tuten has been doing his thing this season, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt. But he is currently a game-time decision after not practicing all week leading up to the game due to ankle/foot issues. If Tuten can’t play, Chris Rodriguez will get the start and be the bell cow for the Jaguars. Rodriguez did have a decent game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, finishing with 12.8 fantasy points. Rodriguez is averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. The Ravens allow 19.6 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, but if the Ravens’ offense doesn’t move the ball, the defense could get tested and create more opportunities for the Jaguars’ offense to run the ball. Stay alert for any information on Bhayshul Tuten’s status ahead of the game. If he’s ruled out, check your waiver wire for Chris Rodriguez.
Parker Washington has been the golden star of the Jaguars’ passing attack, but he’s cooled off over the last two games. Scoring just 14 fantasy points over the last two games is not what fantasy managers are looking for, but every player has a slump or two during the season. Washington is averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game this season but should be locked in for a nice bounce-back game against a vulnerable Ravens pass defense. The Ravens are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, and Washington is seeing a bunch of targets. Washington leads all Jaguars wide receivers with a near 24% target share. Jakobi Meyers is up next in the pecking order as the Jags WR2. But he may not be worth adding to fantasy lineups. Meyers has 31 targets on the season (15.4% target share), but is averaging just 4.4 targets per game. That’s not enough work to slide a player like that into your starting lineup. And we already know what’s going on with Brian Thomas Jr. It would be a surprise to see him out there if the Jaguars are thinking about moving him via trade.
Brenton Strange may be a good start against the Ravens. The Jaguars tight end has been seeing a significant amount of targets, with 35 over the start of the season. The Ravens rank 18th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends this season, but with the Jags, Strange has been the second most consistent pass catcher not named Parker Washington. If you don’t have any better options to consider, you could probably do worse than not start Strange. He should see plenty of targets from Trevor Lawrence in this game.
Final Thoughts
This doesn’t look like a great game for fantasy when you look at the Ravens’ skill positions. The one constant would be Derrick Henry. The pass catchers for the Ravens all take a hit this week. Fantasy managers will likely have to start Zay Flowers out of desperation until Jacoby Brissett gets on board. I don’t have a problem starting Derrick Henry, but I’m also tempering expectations. If I’m an opposing defense, I’m making sure that the Ravens will have to beat me throwing the ball. Meanwhile, on the other side of the football field, the Jags are armed to the teeth. Trevor Lawrence should be in a good spot this week, even against the Ravens’ defense. I’m looking for Parker Washington to get back to his productive ways as the Ravens are bleeding fantasy points. Brenton Strange should have a solid fantasy game (10+ fantasy points) on Thursday Night Football. Bhayshul Tuten being a game-time decision is the one major monkey wrench for the contest, so getting that information will be key. As it stands, Tuten could miss the game as he was unable to practice leading up to the game. The Jags may want to sit him because of the short week.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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