Rookie wideout Flowers will give the Ravens an infusion of speed and suddenness in their offense. At Boston College, Flowers scored once every 6.5 catches as a senior while averaging 6.5 catches per game (do the math, he scored 12 times in 12 games). Though small in size, Flowers routinely decimated all sorts of coverages including double-teams for big plays. The Ravens have a deep group of pass-catchers but the field-stretching Flowers may be the team's starting slot receiver in Week 1. You could reach for him in Round 9 in seasonal leagues but waiting would be better. It's a different story in long-term keeper leagues when Round 9 might be too late. In rookie-only drafts, bank on Flowers being picked somewhere between third and seventh overall.
The Colts have been absolutely abysmal against opposing receivers this season, so hopefully Flowers takes advantage of this secondary. We could see Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman also perform well, but I only have faith in Flowers. In two games against the Jaguars and Texans, five receivers have scored at least 13.4 PPR points, with four touchdowns. Flowers was great in Week 1 against Houston with nine catches for 78 yards on 10 targets when Mark Andrews was out with a quad injury, but he struggled in Week 2 at Cincinnati with four catches for 62 yards on five targets. Given the matchup, I'll trust Flowers again as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Makes downfield grab in win
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Flowers caught four of five targets for 62 yards and added a six-yard carry in the Week 2 win over the Bengals.
The rookie continues to impress early in his career. Flowers' big highlight Sunday came on an impressive 52-yard reception between Bengals defenders, showing a downfield element that was not explored as much in the season opener. Baltimore spread the ball around more in Week 2 as Mark Andrews returned to the fold, so Flowers' target volume was cut in half. Still, Flowers was efficient with his opportunities and is off to a strong start overall. Baltimore hosts Indianapolis in Week 3.
It's pretty clear after one week who the Ravens like as their top receiver. Flowers' explosiveness and 10 targets from Week 1 cannot be ignored in Fantasy, but neither should the matchup. I would temper expectations on Flowers and keep him in the flex range. I'd also consider Rashod Bateman a DFS flier. I'd bank on rebound games for Jahan Dotson, Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, starting them over Flowers, but I'd chance it with Flowers over Puka Nacua, Courtland Sutton and George Pickens.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: WRs to Start
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Flowers' performance in Week 1 against Houston wasn't a fluke, and we said all offseason he would be the No. 1 receiver for Lamar Jackson. Flowers had nine catches for 78 yards on 10 targets in his NFL debut against the Texans. To put that in perspective, Jackson completed just 17 passes on 22 attempts, so he was locked in on Flowers. Now, we'll see what happens if Mark Andrews (quadriceps) is able to play in Week 2 at Cincinnati, but I would still use Flowers as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues even if Andrews is active. Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. are just No. 3 Fantasy receivers at best in this matchup.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Racks up catches in pro debut
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Flowers brought in nine of 10 targets for 78 yards and rushed twice for nine yards in the Ravens' 25-9 win over the Texans on Sunday.
Flowers' pro debut was even more impressive than the numbers indicate when factoring in Lamar Jackson completed just 17 passes for 169 yards overall. The rookie's longest catch went for a relatively modest 21 yards, but after averaging 15.3 yards per reception in his four college seasons, the short-area role he filled Sunday isn't likely to be the norm. Flowers will look to build on his status as Baltimore's leading receiver across the board when he faces the Bengals on the road in Week 2.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: WRs to Sit
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I'm expecting Flowers to be a solid Fantasy option in his rookie campaign, and he should be the No. 1 wide receiver in Baltimore ahead of Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. But this isn't a great matchup for the Ravens receivers. The Texans secondary was awesome last year and should be tough again, and Houston was No. 1 in fewest touchdowns to receivers with six. Flowers is only worth using as a low-end starter in three receiver leagues in Week 1.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Dominates opening drive
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Flowers played one drive and caught both of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in Monday's preseason game at Washington.
Playing with Baltimore's backups against a Washington defense that used only three or four projected starters, Flowers caught a pair of short passes and avoided a tackle on both plays en route to gains of 11 and 26 (TD). He did his damage while lined up across from fellow rookie first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes, who otherwise played well in the first half. Flowers is locked in as one of Baltimore's top three WRs to start the regular season, and he could even be the first or second option if Odell Beckham and/or Rashod Bateman struggle to regain form after prolonged absences. It's unclear if Flowers will play in the preseason finale against Tampa Bay on Saturday, but he should get a lot of snaps Week 1 when the Ravens host the Texans on Sunday, Sept. 10.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: One touch in preseason debut
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Flowers didn't officially draw a target and rushed once for one yard in the Ravens' 20-19 preseason win over the Eagles on Saturday night.
Flowers' quiet stat line is a bit deceiving, as the rookie first-round pick helped draw illegal use of hands and defensive holding penalties over a three-play sequence that straddled the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. Flowers was also guilty of a flag in his own right, getting whistled for a false start on the Ravens' first offensive play. A mixed bag of a debut now behind him, Flowers will aim to get on the stat sheet as a receiver for the first time when Baltimore tangles with the Commanders on Monday night, Aug. 21 in its second preseason game.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: In line to play Saturday
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Flowers is slated to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Flowers, a rookie first-round pick, has flashed during his first training camp and is vying for a starting spot in a wideout corps that includes Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman (foot). Lamar Jackson and most of Baltimore's other starters won't be playing in Saturday's exhibition, so Flowers should be one of the top targets during his first NFL game action, though he'll probably be limited to only a few series.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Making case for starting job
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Flowers has made a strong case for a starting job during training camp while fellow wide receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) has remained absent from practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Bateman has been on the active/PUP list for over a week now, and while that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be ready for the start of the regular season, it at least creates some concern that he won't be at his best early on. That wouldn't be at all atypical for a wideout coming back from a season-ending Lisfranc injury, though the Ravens were optimistic about the 2021 first-round pick earlier this offseason. With some of that optimism perhaps waning, the team's 2023 first-round selection (Flowers) has stepped up alongside Odell Beckham to form a solid duo for Lamar Jackson in practice. The Ravens have two other wideouts with considerable NFL starting experience, Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay, but in terms of likely fantasy contributors with potential for considerable target volume, it's probably a three-way race between Flowers, Beckham and Bateman. So far, Beckham and Flowers are winning that race, both delivering strong showings in training camp while Bateman lingers on the PUP list.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Practicing soon
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Flowers, who has missed the past two practices due to a stomach bug, is expected to return early next week, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
The Ravens have had a number of players not participating in the early portions of training camp due to various reasons, but it seems as if the 2023 first-round pick simply was dealing with an illness that shouldn't sideline him too much longer. Flowers will aid a dramatically different receiving group from last season that sees the arrival of veterans Odell Beckham and Nelson Agholor along with the potential return of Rashod Bateman (foot) and stud incumbent Mark Andrews.
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Ravens' Zay Flowers: Baltimore swoops in
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The Ravens selected Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 22nd overall.
Baltimore's spotty track record with drafting receivers in the first round aside, Flowers fills an immediate need for the Ravens with Rashod Bateman's injury track record and Odell Beckham being on just a one-year deal. The Boston College product was the third receiver taken in this class and he has impressive production in his prospect profile. Flowers (5-foot-9, 182 pounds, 4.42 40) caught 29 touchdowns over four seasons while carrying what was an otherwise anemic passing attack. It will be a challenge for Flowers to ascend in the target pecking order with Bateman, Beckham and Mark Andrews in the fold, but he could have the inside track at a slot role in a new-look offense designed by Todd Monken.
