Zay Flowers reminded everybody just how crucial he is to the Baltimore Ravens' offense last Sunday, torching the Dallas Cowboys for 84 yards on five catches while adding a carry for 20 more. Oh, and he did all that on a pretty tight snap count while working his way back from a hamstring issue that held him out in Week 3.
What would he do for an encore in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans? His hamstring once again cast some doubt about his availability, as he was just a limited participant in Baltimore's final practice on Friday and was listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. But the Ravens got some good news about their WR1 ahead of Sunday's kickoff, and he might be in for an even bigger performance this week.
Is Zay Flowers playing today? What to know about Ravens WR1's availability
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport broke the news early Sunday morning that Flowers is expected to play for the Ravens against Tennessee in Week 5. Even better for Baltimore is that, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the wideout will not have a "hard pitch count" after his snaps were limited in Week 4 against Dallas. Fowler cited a source as saying Flowers is "good to go", which feels about as unequivocal as you can get.
That's huge news for a Ravens offense that becomes a different beast entirely when Flowers is on the field, thanks to his versatility and how dangerous he is after the catch. It's also huge news for fantasy owners hoping to have one of the year's breakout stars in their lineups this week.
Ravens wide receiver depth chart with Zay Flowers back in action
Position | Player |
|---|---|
WR1 | Zay Flowers |
WR2 | Rashod Bateman |
WR3 | Devontez Walker |
WR4 | Chris Moore |
WR5 | LaJohntay Wester |
WR6 | Elijah Sarratt |
You can see how limited Baltimore's group of pass-catchers would be without Flowers. Bateman filled in admirably when Flowers had to miss time in Week 3, but he's a complementary piece rather than a true go-to target. Walker has shown flashes of real explosiveness so far in his NFL career, but his upside remains mostly theoretical at this point. And from there, the Ravens are reliant on largely young, largely unproven players like Wester and Sarratt around veteran tight end Mark Andrews.
Flowers gives Jackson a first place to look on just about every passing down, while also allowing Bateman and Walker to slide down into roles for which they're far more suited. That has a ripple effect on this entire offense, one that already has as stable a foundation as anyone around Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Zay Flowers fantasy football outlook vs. Titans
The Titans enter Week 4 ranked 18th in fantasy points allowed per game to wide receivers, but some serious context is needed there. Tennessee played the offense-starved New York Giants in a rain storm in Week 3, which naturally limited the numbers they gave up. They got lit up for a 10/117/1 line by DeVonta Smith in Week 2, while Garrett Wilson put 6/79 on them in the season opener.
This is, simply put, not a very good football team, and not a very good defense more specifically. There's always a chance that this game gets out of hand early and renders Flowers and the passing game largely irrelevant, but he should be able to feast as the clear top target for a two-time MVP in Jackson against a vulnerable secondary. You can fire him up as a clear WR1 this week, especially with other top targets like Justin Jefferson sidelined due to injury.
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