Ravens QBs Injured In Week 8, Hampers Fantasy Outlook For Zay Flowers and Co.
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The Baltimore Ravens suffered a blowout loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, enduring two devastating injuries in the quarterback room. Lamar Jackson returned the the starting lineup after missing each of the Ravens' last three games while dealing with an ankle injury, raising expectations heading into Sunday's highly anticipated matchup against Buffalo.
Jackson went down on Baltimore's first play from scrimmage, and was unable to return to the field. It was later revealed that the two-time MVP suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand. He's set to undergo surgery this week and has hit the team's Injured Reserve list.
His injury thrust backup Tyler Huntley into a familiar role as Baltimore's QB1, a stint that was short-lived after starting each of the last three games. Huntley went down after just 10 snaps due to injury, and emergency quarterback, rookie Joe Fagnano, took over as the lead signal-caller for the Ravens' offense. The unit struggled mightily under Fagnano, who will likely take over should Huntley miss time. These injuries played a crucial role in disappointing performances from players like Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers, who will be forced to take on greater volume in the quarterbacks' absence.
Lamar Jackson Out Multiple Weeks, Zay Flowers Needs Tyler Huntley
Flowers has emerged as one of the NFL's top wideouts this season, entering Week 9 ranked eighth in the league in receiving yards and seventh in yards per game. Against Buffalo, though, Flowers struggled mightily without Jackson or Huntley. He was targeted five times in the loss, but failed to notch a catch in Week 8, his worst performance of the season thus far.
If Huntley can suit up against the Jacksonville Jaguars for Thursday Night Football, Flowers presents favorable fantasy upside just two weeks removed from a 137-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals with the former Pro Bowler under center. Without Huntley, it's hard to make a compelling bounce-back case for Flowers against the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL.
Derrick Henry Could See Greater Volume Without QBs
Henry had a productive first half before the Ravens' offense was forced to lean on its passing game, facing a 16-7 halftime deficit. The star running back has vastly reduced volume in game situations like these, and he was limited to just 11 carries for 53 yards with a touchdown. The Ravens' offense will lean on Henry early and often against Jacksonville in a short week if Huntley misses the game, and if the veteran backup manages to suit up, the game should remain competitive and allow the star back to sustain a prominent role.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.