2020 Dynasty Capsule: Baltimore Ravens

Noah Ballweg

Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.

Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”

It’s safe to say the Baltimore Ravens are back in business with a 2019 regular season reminiscent of their 2013 Super Bowl run, which unfortunately could not produce the same results in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, the Ravens have a 23-year-old MVP in Lamar Jackson, Coach-of-the-Year in John Harbaugh, a speedy, dynamic receiver in Marquise Brown and a dominant, athletic tight end in Mark Andrews. Remind you of the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs? It sure does to me.

Fans of the Ravens have so much to be excited about in the coming years as their team continues to build around the weapons already acquired. Had Jackson been able to lead the Ravens past their first playoff game, Super Bowl LIV may have looked very different.

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson (ADP: 22, QB2)

Age: 23

Leading the Ravens to a 14-2 regular-season record and an AFC title, Jackson put up some absolute mind-boggling numbers in 2019. He proved to the league that he is not only the most improved player but also the most valuable player this season.

Coming off an up-and-down 2018 season which saw him attempt a total of 170 passes for six touchdowns and 12 fumbles, Jackson erupted for career highs in almost every statistical category. He attempted 401 passes, completing over 66% of his targets for an astounding 3,127 yards and 36 passing touchdowns. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he only threw six interceptions in 2019, tearing up defenses on the ground and scoring seven rushing touchdowns on over 1,200 rushing yards.

Who saw this coming? Well, not many, unfortunately, and certainly none of us were expecting a complete transformation in the span of one off-season. Jackson began the 2019 season with an ADP of 137.17 and as you can see, he has skyrocketed to the near tops of the quarterback ranks with an ADP of 30 in early January, toe-to-toe with Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

He will continue to be a top-five fantasy quarterback in 2020, but I do expect a degree of regression from the 2019 MVP. While his breakout season was unexpected by all accounts, opposing coordinators now have an entire year to scheme around exposing his weaknesses and stopping his dynamic approach. word image 64

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Robert Griffin III (ADP: 202.67, QB49)

Age: 30

Griffin saw appearances in seven of the Ravens’ scheduled games in 2019. He completed 60% of his 32 attempts for 225 yards including one touchdown and two interceptions. A great backup piece for the Ravens, his game is modeled after Jackson’s and the team has the benefit of not having to adjust the formation of the offense much if and when Griffin needs to enter the game.

He is contracted through 2020 and just turned 30, so it will be something to keep an eye on after next season as the veteran quarterback’s career path could once again change. At this stage, he holds value only in deep superflex leagues that have the available roster spots to hold him.

Trace McSorley (ADP: N/A)

Age: 24

McSorley saw action in only one of the Ravens’ games in 2019 and currently holds little or no fantasy value in any dynasty format. While he is contracted with the Ravens through 2022, it is hard to see him stepping into a significant role, even if the team decides to part ways with Griffin after the 2020 season. He is better left on waivers for the foreseeable future.

Running Backs

Mark Ingram (ADP: 92, RB28)

Age: 30

Ingram signed a three-year 15.5 million dollar contract with the Ravens before the 2019 NFL season. The 30-year-old veteran put his money to work in his first season in Baltimore and resurged as a top-ten running back in 2019.

He carried the ball over 200 times – only the fourth time doing so in his nine-year career. He turned those carries into an amazing 5.0 yards per carry while totaling over 1,000 yards on the ground and scoring ten touchdowns. We also surprisingly saw him used effectively in the passing game, catching 26 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns.

Ingram’s current DLF ADP is 67, slating him as a late fifth-round to early sixth-round pick and being taken in between the likes of Kareem Hunt, Phillip Lindsay, and Kenyan Drake. This is still a great value for a running back coming off a top-ten fantasy season, but I would be more inclined to draft at least two of the three aforementioned names before Ingram heading into the 2020 season.

If you can sell the veteran running back to gain some young assets, I would personally advise the move based on the trend we see with most running backs surpassing 30 years of age.

Gus Edwards (ADP: 220, RB71)

Age: 24

Despite starting only one game for the Ravens in 2019, and laying down much of his role to veteran Ingram, Edwards still nearly statistically mirrored his terrific 2018 campaign.

He rushed the ball 133 times for 711 yards (5.3 YPC) and found the end zone twice. He played a pivotal role in the Ravens’ offense in 2019, spelling Ingram when needed and mixing his power and vision when running between the tackles.

Edwards’s current ADP (162.5) is on the rise. Expect it to continue to increase every month before the 2020 season unless the Ravens decide to dip into the 2020 running back class.

As a late 13th to 14th round pick, there is great value to be had with Edwards, who has earned the trust of the Ravens staff and sits behind an aging veteran running back. He is set to be a free agent this off-season, but it seems quite unlikely that both parties would not come to an agreement based on the needs from both sides.

Justice Hill (ADP: 139.83, RB37)

Age: 22

Hill was one of the more sought after late-round rookie picks in the majority of fantasy drafts that I observed in 2019. The 22-year-old rookie out of Oklahoma State impressed scouts at the Combine with a 4.40 40-yard dash, combined with almost supernatural quickness and footwork. When the Ravens drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, it seemed destined that he would take over a crucial role in their offense early on.

Unfortunately, this did not happen, but more so for the right reasons than the wrong ones. The acquisition of Ingram left Hill looking from the outside in on the running back snap counts. He was limited to some third downs, but mostly saw action on special teams.

Lack of vision, strength, and awareness got the best of the rookie back in 2019, but Hill did manage to rush for 225 yards and two touchdowns and he made some significant progress towards the end of the season. He currently holds a DLF ADP of 119 (ninth round), which you will notice is much higher than that of his counterpart Edwards.

Hill is trending up. The coaching staff and dynasty team owners fully believe that Hill will eventually become the guy in Baltimore and I am on that hype train as well. He wowed me in the preseason and I could not pass up on owing some shares of a back who has video game like reflexes in the open field.

Wide Receiver

Marquise Brown (ADP: 75.67, WR31)

Age: 22

There were certainly question marks looming over Marquise Brown as he began his rookie season. Could the 5’9” 166-pound speed-freak withstand the physicality of an NFL season? How would he find the end zone in an offense limited in their passing ability?

All of that was immediately put to rest in week one when Brown, who was coming off ankle surgery, exploded for 147 yards and two touchdowns to plant his name in Raven history forever.

Brown would go on to play in 13 of the Ravens regular-season games, finishing the season with 46 receptions for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. Given the assumption by many that the Ravens would be limited in their downfield passing game, it is safe to say it was a very successful rookie season.

Now the clear WR1 of the Baltimore Ravens offense, he is still a great value this off-season with an ADP of 68.83, making him a late fifth-round pick in most startups. While there still are durability concerns, the Ravens offense can only get better from here on out, and I am all in on Brown.

One of my favorite tools on the DLF site is the Dynasty Trade Finder. In a recent 14-team league transaction, you can easily see the added value that Brown brings to your dynasty roster. The acquisition of two WR1’s in Brown and Chark plus a rising tight end that should rebound in 2020 makes this notable. I really like the Marquise Brown side of this trade given the format of the league.

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Miles Boykin (ADP: 198.33, WR68)

Age: 23

Boykin is the player I am going to tout as “The Most To Gain” position player on the Ravens roster. While Brown has the WR1 locked up, the door has been opened this off-season for Boykin to build rapport with Jackson and plant his flag as the solidified WR2.

His rookie season certainly left many fantasy owners disappointed. The rookie out of Notre Dame was expected to begin the season clipped to the side of ‘Hollywood’ Brown, the two becoming a dynamic duo. However, Boykin struggled to stay on the field in his rookie season and even when he was available his usage was minimal.

His final stat line includes 13 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns. The numbers are not terrible for an incoming rookie, but certainly not what the dynasty community had expected.

He currently holds an ADP of 155.33. His value right now is terrific, and you would be wise to make some trade offers this off-season as I foresee all that Boykin needs is a full off-season to get healthy before he has a breakout sophomore season.

Willie Snead (ADP: 224.25, WR95)

Age: 27

Willie Snead caught 31 passes for 339 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. Aside from the touchdown total, it was another disappointing season for the six-year pro out of Ball State.

With the emergence of Brown, Boykin, and Andrews, it is evident that Snead is a red zone target and only that.

He currently has an ADP of 224.25 (18th round) and most likely can be left off your dynasty rosters and only kept in the deepest of leagues. He is set to make over 3 million dollars next season and he could be one of the first cuts that the Ravens make this off-season to shore up some cap space.

Seth Roberts (ADP: 238.83)

Age: 29

Roberts came over to Baltimore in 2019, after a mildly successful stint in Oakland. His role in this organization, however, was simply to bridge the gap between the up-and-coming rookie receivers the Ravens invested in during the 2019 off-season.

He is due to be a free agent and seems to have served his purpose with the team. It would appear that he will travel elsewhere to find a less crowded receiving depth chart.

Chris Moore (ADP: 228.83)

Age: 26

Chris Moore had to have been one of the biggest disappointments in terms of fantasy players this past season. There was a lot of hype surrounding Moore heading into the 2019 season, as he had shown some great improvement in the off-season and flashed signs of a breakout in the preseason. However, Moore finished the season with just three catches for 21 yards, all but ending a four-year career in Baltimore that never got started.

Tight End

Mark Andrews (ADP: 53.33, TE3)

Age: 23

In 2018 it became clear that Jackson would rely heavily on Andrews. In 2019, that claim solidified as he finished the season at TE3 and the clear number one target of Jackson and the Ravens offense.

Andrews caught 64 passes for 852 yards and an incredible ten touchdowns. The second-year man out of Oklahoma has proven that he is one of the best route-running tight ends in the league with an excellent pair of hands.

At just 23 years-old, his ADP has already climbed to 53.83 (fourth round) and by the looks of this trend he could be the overall TE1 before the age of 25.

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Usually, at this point in a players career where their value has nearly summited, I would advise owners to be prepared to sell high, but Andrews is one of the rare cases in almost every one of my leagues where I will most likely hold on to him for the entirety of his career.

He is in a perfect offensive scheme for his style of player and is paired with high caliber, young offensive weapons. What is there not to like?

Nick Boyle (ADP: 238.17, TE46)

Age: 27

Boyle put up the best numbers yet of his five-year career, and he continues to start alongside Andrews as the clear run-blocking tight end of this offense.

Boyle caught 31 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 10 yards per catch on his receptions.

It is clear that Andrews is the only fantasy relevant receiving tight end in this offense, but Boyle has continued to show progression, indicting that he could step into an expanded role if the team’s starter were to ever go down.

Hayden Hurst (ADP: 219.50, TE38)

Age: 26

It is still a bewilderment that Andrews was drafted two entire rounds after Hurst in 2018. Believe it or not, Hurst was the Ravens’ first-round pick in that draft, but his output has not matched the pedigree.

He put up numbers similar to Boyle in 2019, and he has shown improvement from last season, but Andrews has a clear grip on the starting tight end role.

With 30 catches for 349 yards and two touchdowns, Hurst typically enters in formation-based packages, or when Andrews is taken out to rest.

His current ADP is 219.50, but I wouldn’t bother rostering him unless you have an open spot in a tight end premium league. If a door opens for Hurst – either on the Ravens or another team – he should increase in value, but until then he holds very little.