Baltimore Ravens

Ravens at Jaguars: 5 best fantasy options

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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There will be plenty of quality wide receivers on the field when the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Baltimore Ravens. Who will come up big this week?

Last season in Baltimore, the Jacksonville Jaguars got an extra chance to beat the Ravens that we later found out should have never occurred. Unfortunately for head coach John Harbaugh and his team, they were on the short end of a 22-20 score that afternoon.

Two weeks into this season, it’s Jacksonville that’s on the short end of things – off to a disappointing 0-2 start. Is this the Sunday they put it altogether at home against Joe Flacco and company?

We expect a high-scoring tilt this week. So take a look at our top five fantasy selections when it comes to this matchup.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta (88) catches a pass over the defense of Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Chris Kirksey (58) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

5. Dennis Pitta

Fantasy football isn’t about winning awards (unless you capture your league championship). But to go off topic for a bit, here’s a strong early candidate for 2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Two weeks into the season, tight end Dennis Pitta leads the club with 16 targets, good for team-highs in catches (12) and receiving yards (141). Keep in mind that injuries limited the once-reliable performer to a combined seven games from 2013-14 while the pass-catching talent missed the entire 2015 campaign.

You will recall that Pitta had emerged as one of Joe Flacco’s favorite weapons, most notably during the Ravens’ Super Bowl season of 2012. That year, the one-time fourth-round draft choice from BYU totaled 61 receptions for 669 yards and seven scores in 16 regular-season outings. He then added 14 grabs for 163 yards and three touchdowns during Baltimore’s four-game postseason run.

So far wide receiver Mike Wallace is the only Ravens’ player to catch a touchdown pass this season. That will change this week against the Jaguars.

Aug 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Ivory (33) runs the ball against the New York Jets during the first quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

4. Chris Ivory

Is this the week we finally see the 2015 AFC rushing champion make his regular-season debut with his latest employer?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Ivory was a late scratch in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. He also didn’t play in last Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

The former New Orleans Saints product and ex-New York Jets standout was one of the Jaguars’ prized offseason additions in 2016. A year ago, he ran for an AFC-high 1,070 yards with Todd Bowles’ team. But he opted to join Jacksonville in the spring and the franchise was hoping he could jumpstart the league’s 27th-ranked running attack from a year ago.

Instead, Ivory has been sidelined due to illness but is expected to be ready for this week’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens and practiced on Thursday (via Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union). Common sense say that he may be eased back in the lineup on Sunday, but at the very least don’t be surprised if Ivory becomes the main man in the red zone.

In any case, don’t forget what Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell did last week to Baltimore’s defense (albeit in a losing effort). He totaled 18 carries for 133 yards and a score, 85 yards coming on a touchdown run.

Jacksonville’s lack of balance on the offensive side of the ball has hurt both Blake Bortles and the team’s defense. That’s getting ready to change this week with the return of Ivory, who may be a lot busier than some anticipate.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) leaps over the pile during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

3. Justin Forsett

Back in 2014, the journeyman running back enjoyed a career year in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens. Justin Forsett totaled 235 carries for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 263 yards on 44 receptions for John Harbaugh’s playoff-bound squad.

It’s important to put that year in perspective (as well as being reminded that Gary Kubiak was the team’s offensive coordinator that season). Forsett’s rushing output was more than twice as many yards as any other season during his career (619 with the Seattle Seahawks) in 2009. And the veteran performer (who turns 31 years old on October 14) rolled up a combined 1,529 yards from scrimmage two years ago – not bad considering he has never reached the 1,000-yard mark in this category any other season.

Last week, we saw San Diego Chargers’ running back Melvin Gordon roll up 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground courtesy of 24 carries. The Bolts finished the afternoon with 150 yards rushing on 35 attempts. A week earlier, the Green Bay Packers got just 95 yards on 25 carries (Aaron Rodgers ran for one score) but it’s that attempts number that’s significant.

It’s been a real slow start for the Baltimore running game but you get the feeling that the team’s offensive line is ready to take advantage of a Jacksonville defensive unit that is still suffering through some growing pains. And don’t underestimate Forsett as a pass-catching option as Flacco will try to take advantage of an overaggressive Jaguars’ defense perhaps a little desperate to make some things happen.

Sep 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) has the ball deflected by Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (23) during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field.The Green Bay Packers won 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

2. Allen Robinson

Following a Pro Bowl season in which the former Penn State standout lit up opposing secondaries around the league, it’s been a fairly slow start for one of the more talented wideouts in the game.

Two games in 2016 and Jacksonville’s Allen Robinson is tied with running back T.J. Yeldon, fellow wideout Allen Hurns and tight end Julius Thomas are all tied for the team lead with nine receptions. Of the quartet, only Thomas has found the end zone in the first two weeks of this season.

What’s really interesting is that Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown three touchdown passes in two contests and none have gone to wide receiver. Thomas, tight end Marcedes Lewis and running back Corey Grant have snared passes in the end zone.

Last season, Robinson (14) and Allen Hurns (10) combined for 24 of Bortles’ 35 TD passes, the former totaling 80 grabs for 1,400 yards – a healthy 17.5 yards per reception. It’s not like Robinson hasn’t had his chances. He’s been target a team-high 20 times in two games, 15 of those coming in the Week 1 home loss to the Green Bay Packers.

It’s hard to believe that a still-suspect Baltimore defense will be able to keep the third-year wide receiver in check. More significantly, we have a tough time believing that Robinson will have a third straight subpar performance. Look for him to eclipse the 100-yard mark and reach the end zone at least once in a game that should feature plenty of aerial fireworks this weekend.

Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) points out a San Diego Chargers defender during the first quarter of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Blake Bortles

You may wonder why we haven’t mentioned Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, facing a team that has allowed 65 points in two games. The one-time Super Bowl MVP has thrown for 560 yards and three touchdowns in two games this season but has also combined for three turnovers.

So why give Blake Bortles the nod? He’s totaled 649 yards through the air and thrown just as many touchdown passes as Flacco but has picked off three times, lost a fumble and been sacked five times during the team’s 0-2 start.

Simply put, it’s a lean to the home team and the fact that we are not really sold on Baltimore’s defense, at least not yet. Yes, the Ravens have allowed the fewest passing yards in the league to date but that run defense had its issues last Sunday. But let’s go back to the start of last season and it’s worth noting that John Harbaugh’s club has surrendered 32 touchdown passes while totaling a mere eight interceptions in its last 18 outings.

Look for Bortles to avoid the mistakes this week thanks to some support from the running game and come up with a big game this Sunday.

This looks like two teams headed in completely opposite directions but the concern here is not who wins and who loses. It’s a very strong possibility that this could be the highest-scoring game of NFL Week 3. And don’t rule out the Jaguars finally taking out their frustrations against a Baltimore defense that gets outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil back but still has some question marks.

Hence there will be plenty of points by both clubs – just a few more by the home team, hence the 1-2 picks of Bortles and Robinson, respectively.