Why Zay Flowers Is Rising Into WR1 Conversation for 2026 Fantasy Football Leagues

With Isaiah Likely out of the picture, Zay Flowers could be positioned for a major target boost and his first true WR1 fantasy football season in 2026.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) reacts after a play against the Miami Dolphins in the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Zay Flowers has steadily climbed the fantasy football ladder through his first three NFL seasons, but Baltimore’s offseason changes may create the clearest path yet to a true breakout. With fewer tight-end mouths to feed and a growing connection with Lamar Jackson, Flowers enters 2026 with legitimate top-10 upside at wide receiver.

Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Flowers has developed into a more intriguing receiver in 2026, especially with Baltimore expected to rely more on the wide receiver after losing some of the younger tight end depth in the offseason.

His rookie year was a steady, productive introduction (914 combined yards, six touchdowns, and 77 catches on 108 targets), with a 71.3% catch rate, good enough for a WR3 finish (207.00 PPR points). A few drops (5) and some early miscommunication with Lamar Jackson kept his ceiling in check, but Flowers hit his stride down the stretch, delivering five of his best games over his final seven starts (5/62/2, 6/60/1, 9/72/1, 3/106/1, and 5/115/1). Baltimore fed him double-digit targets five times.

Year two brought a deeper role and bigger numbers (1,059 receiving yards, 19 catches of 20-plus yards, and a yards-per-catch jump from 11.1 to 14.3). His catch rate dipped to 63.8%, but that was an expected tradeoff for the increased depth of his routes. Flowers was one of the most productive receivers in football through the first nine weeks, with five standout performances (7/91/1, 7/111, 9/132, 7/115, and 5/127/2) mixed in among three empty outings (3/23, 1/10, 1/30).

The second half of 2024 is when his profile got complicated. Baltimore gave him just 49 targets over his final eight starts (6.1 per game), leading to only 75.40 PPR points over that stretch (a sharp drop from his first-half pace). His lone bright spot was a Week 16 performance (5/103) before a knee injury ended his season in the finale after just 14 plays.

Despite setting career highs in catches (86), receiving yards (1,211), and targets (118) in 2025, Flowers posted only one elite game (7/151/1) over his first 12 starts, which came in Week 1. He lulled fantasy game managers into less trust over his next 11 games (eight double-digit fantasy games in PPR formats), before turning in a fantasy stud over his final five matchups (8/126, 3/68/1, 7/102/1, 4/30/1, and 4/138/2 – 20.48 FPPG). Flowers repeated his big play value (14.1 yards per catch with 19 receptions gaining at least 20 yards). 

LAMAR JACKSON TO ZAY FLOWERS FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT 🚨

Ravens lead in the final minutes with the AFC North title on the line!pic.twitter.com/4RtATAOx0J

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 5, 2026

Over his three seasons in the NFL, the Ravens gave him 27 rushing attempts, resulting in 174 yards and two touchdowns, adding a hidden slice to his fantasy value.

Zay Flowers 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Flowers comes off a WR25 season in PPR fantasy points (209.80) while ranking 20th at wide receiver in the early draft season in the NFFC in 2026. In 2024, the Ravens’ tight ends caught 106 passes for 1,281 yards and 18 touchdowns on 138 targets, followed by a pullback in production last season (83/857/8 on 122 targets).

Mark Andrews (48/422/5 on 70 targets) was no longer a top tight end in 2025, supported by fewer targets as well in 2023 (61 over 10 games) and 2024 (69). Based on his direction and Isiah Likely no longer on the roster, the Ravens’ wide receivers should have a natural increase in targets this year, which should be a win for Flowers. His next step should be 1,400 combined yards with about seven touchdowns and 100 catches, painting him as a top 10 wideout in 2026.