Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews' Fantasy Outlook After Lamar Jackson's Injury
The Baltimore Ravens have a number of offensive weapons, and it will be up to those playmakers to lead the way after quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered an ankle injury Sunday against the Cleveland Browns in the first half and was ruled out for the duration of the contest.
Jackson's injury could send shock waves throughout playoff races in the AFC and fantasy football leagues if he is forced to miss significant time, as Tyler Huntley could be in a position to take crucial snaps.
The backup's presence likely won't change the formula much for the team's running backs from a fantasy perspective.
Baltimore often runs a read-option attack with Jackson, which forces additional defenders into the box to counter the running game. The Louisville product's ability to use his legs is something defenses must account for on every play, leading to such a reaction.
Defenses often stack the box against backup quarterbacks as well in an effort to force them to beat the secondary over the top, so the running backs will be facing a similar situation where they are running against loaded fronts.
While Huntley doesn't present the same threat to fake a handoff and keep it themselves, the running backs' overall positioning in fantasy lineups should remain largely the same. And that position is that Devonta Freeman is a risky play but still has a flex floor and an RB2 ceiling.
The injury will have a much more direct impact on Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews in the aerial attack.
Brown's speed is what makes him such an intriguing fit in the Ravens' offense because he can beat the press coverage defenses bring when stacking the box and change the course of a game with a single long reception. He wasted little time doing just that with 147 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his first career NFL game during a win over the Miami Dolphins.
That talent and formula doesn't go anywhere with someone else under center, especially if defenses continue to stack the box, but fantasy players would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the receiver producing without the usual starter.
Huntley entered the 2021 campaign with three completed passes in his career and threw for just 219 yards and an interception in his first start in November, so fantasy owners should hesitate to put Brown in their starting lineup until the new quarterback proves he can operate the offense with his arm as well as his legs.
He's a risky flex proposition at the moment.
The same can be said about Andrews, although he is probably the safer of the two pass-catching options given the tendency for backup quarterbacks to look toward safety valves such as the star tight end to keep the offense moving.
He proved as much in Huntley's lone start, catching eight passes for 73 yards.
There also isn't as much depth at tight end as there is at wide receiver, so keep Andrews in the starting lineup even if the 2019 Pro Bowler's ceiling is lower without Jackson.
