Fantasy Football Fallout of Zay Flowers Injury Reveals Ravens Veteran Sleeper
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There is often a caveat in fantasy football. That was showcased in Week 1 in regard to star WR1 for the Baltimore Ravens, Zay Flowers. He went off against the Indianapolis Colts, posting five receptions for 150 yards and a TD. That led to him being WR7 in PPR fantasy formats for the week. The thing is, he could have finished higher.
Flowers exited the game in the second quarter after seemingly injuring his hamstring, making a 12-yard catch and then getting tackled by Colts CB Sauce Gardner. While the injury does not appear to be something that will keep Flowers sidelined long-term, a recent statement by NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that it is serious enough for Flowers to miss at least some time.
Zay Flowers Injury Update
Schefter said the following about Flowers on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Sep. 14, regarding the status of Flowers: "With a hamstring injury, you miss a little bit of time.. It doesn't sound overly serious for Zay Flowers, but to think he's gonna be out there this week is probably unrealistic.”
With Flowers likely not being available for the Ravens' Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, there is more than enough volume for other Baltimore pass catchers to put up meaningful fantasy performances. This includes one of the best TEs in fantasy over the last decade, Mark Andrews.
Mark Andrews Week 2 Fantasy Outlook
In what has been a downward-spiraling trajectory in Andrews’ fantasy relevance over the last four seasons, a bounce-back could be looming in 2026. Against the Colts, he tied Flowers for the most targets in the game with six, and then was able to produce four receptions for 49 yards. That target amount should rise with Flowers out, and he may be Jackson’s go-to guy in the pass game. He was in the past, and although it has just been one week, New Orleans, in their season debut against the Detroit Lions, did show some volatility to TEs in the pass game.
Lions TE1, Sam LaPorta, had five receptions for 48 yards on eight targets against New Orleans. The Saints also gave up 31 points, which is the ninth-most of any team in Week 1 so far, with a Monday night matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos still looming.
Andrews ahead of Week 2 should be seen as a must-start in fantasy. If he is somehow available on waivers and your team is in need of a TE, do not hesitate; pick him up. In ESPN leagues, he is currently 83.2% rostered. There could also be real staying power for him being a starting TE-caliber player in fantasy, even when Flowers returns, with TE Isaiah Likely now being on the New York Giants.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops