Fantasy Football Impact: Lamar Jackson Out 2-3 Weeks, Cooper Rush Starts for Ravens
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The Ravens continue to enter the depths of what could've been. They are now 1-3 on the season and Lamar Jackson looks to be out 2-3 weeks with a hamstring injury. This will elevate Cooper Rush to the starting role and the Ravens are in a must-win without their MVP quarterback. We now must look into whether or not this team can beat the Texans and how they will shape up for the time being without Jackson.
Fantasy Football Impact
Lamar Jackson (hamstring) unlikely to play Week 5; could miss 2-3 weeks, per @brianwacker1. pic.twitter.com/KK7jc9Ee9r
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 30, 2025
With Jackson out, Cooper Rush now runs this offense and the team must win their week 5 matchups versus the Texans. A 1-3 record is bad enough but 1-4 is basically putting a wrap on your season. Rush is a solid backup for sure, but he is not even anywhere close to Jackson in talent.
One thing may appear quite obvious and it is that this team will run the ball with even more purpose. Do they really want to air it out with Rush? The answer should be no. Expect Derrick Henry to take off the training wheels and be a full workhorse. His status likely elevates with more touches per game over the next few weeks.
In the passing game, everyone will take a hit. The least affected will probably be Mark Andrews. As Rush will not be asked to overcomplicate this passing offense, the tight end will always see the most of the simple work in a short-passing game.
Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman will for sure take a hit. In fact, I am weary to even start Flowers given his already minimal touchdown opportunity. No one else is going to be fantasy viable, and this team must rely on the run and better defensive output to get back in the playoff race.
Waiver Wire Streamers
If you roster Lamar Jackson, you very likely need a replacement. Here are your best options:
Matthew Stafford
Despite his stellar play this season, Stafford is still owned in under 50% of leagues. This is unacceptable as his is the current QB9. He must be picked up as Puka Nacua is seemingly matchup proof and Davante Adams continues to ball out. Our rankings have Stafford as QB15 this week.
Sam Darnold
The Seahawks are more of a run-first team, but in a favorable matchup, Darnold is very viable. His last three games were all very similar with 200+ yards and multiple touchdowns in 2-of-3 games. The Buccaneers are poor against the pass so we may see high-upside in Week 5. Darnold is our QB19 this week.
Jaxson Dart
He may have not passed for a ton of yards last week, but he did not need to. Dart led the Giants to an impressive 21-18 win over the Chargers and this made him the QB10 in Week 4. The Saints will be a soft spot to see another breakout game from Dart.
Other options include Geno Smith (@ IND) and Tua Tagoliavoa (@ CAR).
Lamar Jackson Out 2-3 Weeks With Hamstring Injury
Though unspecified, Jackson has a hamstring injury that will see him out some time. The Ravens play Week 5 against the Texans, followed by Week 6 vs the Rams and a Week 7 bye. There is a very good chance that Jackson is out through the bye week. Whether or not the Rvens are still competitive by then, we do not know, but Jackson will still play hard, that is no doubt. I would air minimal concern on his fantasy value upon his return.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.