What to do with Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins in Week 2 fantasy football

Heading into the season, there were a lot of questions about how carries would be divvied up in the talent-filled Ravens running back room. Those who drafted Mark Ingram may be hitting the panic button at this point, as they saw Ingram take a backseat to rookie J.K. Dobbins in Week 1. What will this timeshare mean for your lineups moving forward? We break down the fantasy implications below.

Fantasy Football analysis: Ravens RBs Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins

Mark Ingram was drafted as an RB2 for most owners, and they were likely distraught on Sunday as they watched Ingram’s fantasy point total stall at 2.9 in ESPN PPR leagues during the Ravens’ blowout win against the Browns. He did tally 10 carries, which was the most of any running back for the day, but the Ravens racked up 38 points in the matchup and Ingram was not involved in any of the scoring action. There is always a chance this was a fluke and the Ravens wanted to get their rookie valuable experience while they had a big lead. While it is tough to project future timeshares based off of one blowout win, this is certainly concerning for Ingram owners. He is still the leader of this backfield on paper, but expectations should be tempered going forward until a larger sample size can be obtained.

J.K. Dobbins delivered an exceptional performance in his rookie debut, as he received seven carries for 22 yards and managed two touchdowns, to total 14.2 fantasy points in ESPN PPR leagues. While one could not ask for a better debut performance, this type of production can not be expected every week. Baltimore has a crowded backfield, and Dobbins’ point total was largely touchdown dependent. Mark Ingram and Lamar Jackson are likely to eat into goal line work this season and it is too early to name Dobbins a set it and forget it weekly starter at this point. The upside is always there, as he is a talented runner in a dominant offense. However, we may not know the hierarchy of this backfield until we are able to watch things play out over a few more games.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Start Ingram in standard and PPR leagues as a flex with low end RB2 upside.

Start Dobbins in standard and PPR leagues as a flex.