Sure didn't seem like a huge cost for the Ravens, though it does shake up their receiver room and make it hard to trust for fantasy purposes. Zay Flowers is hurt the most by the acquisition, as he was (by target volume) the uncontested No. 1 wideout. He likely slides down to the WR3/FLEX borderline due to the uncertainty. Rashod Bateman becomes a touchdown-or-bust proposition. For Carolina, Xavier Legette pushes into the FLEX conversation on target volume despite being on a bad passing offense. Jalen Coker also is rosterable in deeper leagues.
Pick Swap: Panthers get a 5th round pick, give up a 6th Trade: Carolina is sending wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, sources tell ESPN. Comp update: It s a pick flop, with the Panthers getting a 5th-round pick for Diontae Johnson and a 6th, per sources. (Adam Schefter on X) FF Today's Take: The Ravens bolster their offense by acquiring Johnson in a pick swap with the Panthers. This is good move for Lamar Jackson's value, who is already the No.1 quarterback in fantasy football. In Baltimore, Johnson will have to compete with Zay Flowers for targets along with the running game of Jackson and Derrick Henry. It's fair to wonder if he's going to get enough targets to see his fantasy value increase.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and entered Sunday s game questionable with an ankle. He was active against Cleveland, though, and delivered 7 grabs for 115 yards in an upset loss.
The ankle injury that forced Flowers to miss two practices earlier in the week was a non-issue on Sunday, as Flowers emerged to lead the Ravens in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in the back-and-forth affair. Flowers' day could have been much bigger if it weren't for Lamar Jackson missing him on what would have been a wide-open 31-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, but fantasy managers won't be disappointed with this effort. Flowers has eclipsed 100-yards in three of his last five games, and will be a fantasy WR2 in next week's game against the Broncos.
Jackson did everything he could to keep the Ravens in this one but came up just short while attempting a game-winning drive in the final seconds. Arguably the MVP front-runner through the first eight weeks of the season, Jackson made several big plays with his legs and through the air against a solid Browns defense, with his two touchdown passes coming to Mark Andrews and Nelson Agholor. A handful of big drops cost the Ravens dearly in this one, while Jackson missing Zay Flowers on a wide-open 31-yard touchdown also didn't help anything. Having now fallen to 5-3, Jackson will be put to the test at home next week against a Broncos defense that's been a top five unit in the league. Despite the tough matchup, Jackson is an obvious must-start in Week 9.