Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is one of the most exciting picks for Ravens fans in a long time. With their struggles at the wide receiver position, it looks like he could be one of the best they’ve drafted early on. Defenders can’t keep up with him in every bit of action we’ve seen from him. Here’s a look at Flowers’ value in their Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans.
Fantasy Football analysis: Ravens WR Zay Flowers
Flowers attended Boston College which is a reason that he dropped to No. 22 in the 2023 NFL Draft. His size was also part of the reason, but so far he’s shown he plays bigger than his height. In his senior year at Boston College, Flowers had 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s impressive given his struggling quarterback play. He had the opportunity to transfer to a bigger name school as teams were trying to poach him with a lot more NIL, but Flowers decided to stay loyal to the Eagles.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
In an 8- or 10-man PPR league, Flowers should be benched in Week 1. Flowers will move up to a starter in those spots at some point in the season, but there should be more proven players on your roster that were available before Flowers. He’s still a rookie, so I want to see the role he takes in the Ravens offense during the regular season. He should be starting as a WR2/flex option in the 12-14 team leagues, however. I expect him to be featured with a number of run-after-catch opportunities like he was at Boston College.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Similarly to the PPR opinion, Flowers should sit in an 8- and- 10-man standard league. Flowers was dropping a good portion in fantasy drafts and you should’ve already drafted two solid options by that time in these smaller drafts. I would consider playing him in a 12- or 14-team league as a possible WR2 or flex option. I have a strong feeling the Ravens will try to get the rookie a touchdown in his first career NFL game.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Zay Flowers
Flowers is ranked 74th for FLEX options on FantasyPros. A few players around Flowers that I would start in a flex option are Darren Waller, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Thomas. Waller is the No. 1 option in New York and I’m expecting a breakout year from him. Cooks is playing alongside CeeDee Lamb and should flourish in a WR2 role as he’s been a No. 1 the majority of his career. Thomas is risky, but when healthy was one of the top options in the NFL. I expect Thomas to be healthy in Week 1 and have a healthy dose of targets.
