The Baltimore Ravens had a less than happy Thanksgiving night against the Cincinnati Bengals, losing 32-14 at home to their division rivals. Lamar Jackson was a huge part of the defeat, and the veteran has struggled throughout this season, disappointing fantasy owners. However, Jackson does have a seemingly favorable schedule in the next few weeks. Can you trust the superstar QB in the fantasy football playoffs after his inconsistent season?
Let’s take a look at what is going wrong in Baltimore and if he’ll be able to get things turned back around to reach his very high ceiling.
Lamar Jackson by the Numbers
Jackson had a rough outing on Thursday against a Bengals defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season. It should have been a great spot for some home cooking to wrap up Thursday, but Jackson ended up with an egg instead of a Thanksgiving feast. He completed only 17-of-32 passes for 246 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He had six rushes for 27 yards and lost a pair of fumbles to end up with only 9.5 fantasy points, which was the lowest mark of any of the six quarterbacks in action.
His yardage total was actually one of his highest of the year, but it hides the fact that he continues to struggle to get much going with wide receivers. More than half his completions (nine) and 58% of his passing yards went to his tight end duo of Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. He has not thrown or run for a touchdown in three straight weeks, although it’s not his fault that Isaiah Likely fumbled stretching for the goal line to take a touchdown off the board on Thursday night. Or that an offensive pass interference took away what looked to be a long Zay Flowers score.
Jackson burst back onto the scene with four touchdown passes in Week 9 in a monster performance against the Dolphins, but he has not had any other big performances since Week 3. He’s averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game, but he has finished dramatically under that total in each of his last three games.
Lamar Jackson Injury Issues
Jackson has been limited with a toe injury, an ankle injury and a knee injury in the last few games, after missing four weeks with a hamstring injury. The team has considered resting him every Wednesday the rest of the way to “keep him fresh,” but his struggles seem to indicate that there could be more going on than just typical nicks and bruises.
Jackson hasn’t looked nearly as explosive in the last few weeks, and his rushing potential is generally a huge part of his fantasy value.
Looking Ahead for Lamar
The Ravens are in what should be a favorable matchup at home next week against the Steelers. If Lamar Jackson just needs some extra rest and time to recover, maybe the extended break will give it to him. He then faces the Bengals in a rematch in Cincinnati, in what should be a smash spot, but it sure didn’t work out that way on Thursday.
The Ravens host the Patriots in Week 16, and then visit the Packers in Week 17 in a pair of tough matchups to finish up the season. It’ll be hard to trust him in those specific matchups, which will constitute most league’s semi-final and championship games.
Jackson hasn’t done much to earn trust over the last few weeks, but whether you should stick with him down the stretch really depends on who the alternatives are that are available in your league. Jackson has a higher ceiling than almost any available option, but he’s also shown a very low floor lately, so if you want a “safer” option at QB, it may make sense to hit the waiver wire.
If you can grab C.J. Stroud or Jaxson Dart (beware the Week 14 bye week) coming back from injury, that move could pay off. Another option that could make sense in the next few weeks is Aaron Rodgers, who has a brutal matchup with Buffalo, but then easier matchups against the Ravens, Dolphins and Lions before facing the Browns’ defense in Week 17. If you can grab one of those options as an insurance policy, it makes sense to have a solid alternative in place in case Lamar continues to struggle.
