While the 2021 NFL season is still months away, it is never too early to prepare for the fantasy season. Whether it’s research, mock drafts, or going with your gut, everyone has a way to prepare for their fantasy drafts. However, this isn’t another article to help you prepare for the fantasy season. Today, I am going to give three bold fantasy predictions for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.
All stats are base on PPR scoring.
Be sure to check out all of Fanelli’s Fantasy Predictions.
Lamar Jackson won’t Rush for 1,000 Yards
This prediction lacks confidence as Jackson has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons while playing in only 15 games. Given the Ravens’ desire to have Jackson pass more this season and lighten the hits he takes, it is unlikely Jackson has over 1,000 rushing yards again. The Ravens did the same thing last year, as Jackson had nine or fewer rushing attempts in five of his first six games. During that span, he averaged 57.7 rushing yards per game. As injuries and losses piled up, the Ravens went back to running Jackson in the second half of the season. However, with the additions of Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins, expect them to call more passing plays, especially early in the season.
J.K. Dobbins won’t Score Double-Digit Rushing Touchdowns
Everyone is quick to declare Dobbins a double-digit touchdown guy with Mark Ingram in Houston. However, that is far from the truth. While Dobbins led the team with nine rushing touchdowns last season, Ingram only had two on his 72 rushing attempts. Furthermore, Dobbins had a 6.7 touchdown rate on the ground last season that will likely regress. Meanwhile, Gus Edwards had six rushing touchdowns last season. Combine his role with Jackson’s threat to score on read options plays from inside the red zone, and Dobbins has competition for the ball. Furthermore, between Mark Andrews and the Bateman addition, expect the Ravens to throw more often in the red zone than in 2020.
Rashod Bateman Leads the Team in Catches and Yards
The worst kept secret this offseason was how unhappy the Ravens are with their wide receivers. They tried to sign veteran receivers like T.Y. Hilton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kenny Golladay. However, all of them turned out better offers from the Ravens and signed elsewhere. Last season, Marquise Brown and Andrews led the way with 58 catches each. Brown led the team with 769 yards and eight touchdowns, while Andrews had 701 yards and seven touchdowns. To help fix their wide receiver problem, the Ravens spent their first of two first-round picks on Bateman. Given his route running and ability to get open in the middle of the field, Bateman should step in as the WR1 as a rookie, leading the team in most receiving categories.
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