Optimisery: The Case For and Against Lamar Jackson in Baltimore

In this series, Jeremy Schwob and John Di Bari present the optimistic and pessimistic sides to significant changes in the dynasty landscape. Consider both sides, as the goal is to find somewhere in between.

The old adage that there are two sides to every coin could never be more true than when circumstances change for a player. That is especially true when surprising information is thrust upon us. Psychological difficulty and distress can be encountered when individuals hold rigid views that are strictly one-sided (i.e., split) or alternate drastically from one to the other.

A therapeutic concept called integration is a healthier structure for holding both sides together and tolerating the benefits and flaws simultaneously. Relationally, this could involve being frustrated or angry with them while at the same time being able to maintain that you care about them. Such emotional difficulties can parallel our view of players on dynasty rosters amidst changing circumstances.

The goal of this series is not to have you pick a side or a winner of the argument. Rather, it is to consider both sides and not select one entirely in the absence of the other.

This series has traditionally focused on free agents signing with new teams. However, given the off-season drama surrounding Lamar Jackson, we felt it was worth looking into Jackson's re-signing with the Baltimore Ravens and the potential positives and negatives for fantasy football going forward.

Do we see Jackson return to the fantasy monster we saw in 2019, where he amassed 43 total touchdowns as the top fantasy point producer? Or, do we see the Jackson we've seen over the last two seasons, where he failed to play more than 12 games and finished outside of the top 12 at the position?

OPTIMISM

The 2019 season brought us a true breakout performance by the NFL's MVP, as Jackson scored 415.68 fantasy points, gathered through his 3,127 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns, paired with his 1,206 yards and seven more touchdowns on the ground. In the three seasons since, he has failed to come close to those figures. Largely, this is due to missed games due to injury and a conservative rush-oriented scheme with lackluster passing weapons within the offense.