Fantasy Football Managers Should Hold Zay Flowers Amid Uncertainty with Lamar Jackson Injury
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Zay Flowers was producing as a bona fide fantasy football WR1 entering Week 8, and the matchup against the Buffalo Bills was a ripe one. Sadly, with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley suffering injuries for the Baltimore Ravens early in Sunday’s contest, Flowers was blanked in a lopsided loss to the Bills.
While there is certainly panic setting in for Flowers managers, what should everyone do with the talented wideout entering Week 9?
Let’s take a look at Flowers’ production this season and discuss why fantasy football managers should hold him despite Baltimore’s QB injury woes.
All stats used in this article are from PFF and Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.
Fantasy Recap of Zay Flowers After Week 8
Before facing the Bills in Week 8, Flowers was the WR5 in fantasy points per game (20.4), even with limited snaps in his first couple of games of the season. But with Jackson and Huntley both exiting in the first quarter, Flowers scored zero fantasy points on five targets.
Since Sunday’s loss, it’s been revealed that Jackson will undergo thumb surgery and be placed on injured reserve. Huntley was determined to be dealing with a turf toe injury, so it remains to be seen if he’s available on a short week against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football in Week 9.
Zay Flowers is all about that YAC pic.twitter.com/IHWFNP8SjS
— PFF (@PFF) October 31, 2026
It’s unfortunate for fans and the league when Jackson isn’t on the field, and his absence is likely going to prevent Flowers from having a memorable fantasy finish this season. In the first seven weeks, Flowers was on pace for 326.2 fantasy points this year, which would have made him the WR3 behind Puka Nacua (375.0) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (359.9) in 2025.
Of the 20 WRs with 50-plus targets in 2026, Flowers is still logging the fifth-most yards per reception (15.2), the most yards after the catch per reception (8.0), and the second-most yards per route run (3.15). Additionally, Flowers is posting the seventh-highest target share (29.7%) at the WR position.
Buy, Sell, Or Hold Verdict: Hold Zay Flowers
If any fantasy football managers can still sell-high on Flowers for another WR1 or RB1, then it’s certainly a worthwhile move to make right now. However, it’s unlikely that many managers are clamoring to buy high on Flowers after he failed to record a single stat against the Bills in Week 8.
Managers who roster Flowers are certainly in an awkward position, but for the moment, the best course of action is to hold him. Even with a quick turnaround for the Ravens in Week 9, they’ll face a Jaguars defense that’s permitting the fourth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to WRs (+6.3).
Flowers won't be held to zero fantasy points every week, and he’ll likely be more involved in the game plan moving forward. In a scenario where Flowers produces solid outputs with Huntley, third-string QB Joe Fagnano, or a potential trade candidate, another sell window could form.
So, with that in mind, a little bit of patience may be required to ensure managers aren’t selling low on a WR1 like Flowers.
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Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games.
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