Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry won't play in the preseason, according to sources. The next time we will see him will be in the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship contest. The Ravens will also hold quarterback Lamar Jackson out of their preseason opener this Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles, although Jackson and some of the other starters on offense are expected to play later in the preseason. King Henry has a lot of wear on his tires after seeing 300-plus carries in three of the last five seasons, so it makes sense for the Ravens to hold their veteran RB1 back until games actually count. The 30-year-old almost certainly won't have as much rushing volume as he did in Tennessee, making him more touchdown-dependent as a midrange RB1 in fantasy in a better offense.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won't play in Friday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to head coach John Harbaugh. Veteran signal-caller Josh Johnson will get the starting nod under center for Baltimore. Jackson is expected to play during the preseason, but that won't happen in the opener this weekend. The 27-year-old two-time NFL MVP missed some practices at the start of training camp with an illness, but he's fine now and is looking for an encore performance in 2024 after throwing for a career-high 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 821 yards and an additional five TDs on the ground. Jackson isn't as prolific as a thrower as some other QBs, but his rushing prowess makes up for it and keeps him as a top-five fantasy signal-caller.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (midsection) suffered an injury in training camp on Monday and was seen walking off the field with a trainer holding his ribs or midsection. Head coach John Harbaugh did clear things up with Bateman's injury, saying it was not serious and that he landed on the ball. Bateman should be able to return to practice in a couple of days, where he'll be competing for a starting wide receiver job. His 2023 was not super encouraging to that end, as Bateman reeled in just 32 passes for 367 yards and one touchdown in 16 regular season games. The former 2021 first-round pick has a ways to go before getting back into fantasy football managers' good graces, but at best, Bateman is a late-round flier this season in the hopes that he can fulfill some of the expectations from when he was drafted.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman suffered an injury to his midsection during Monday's training camp practice. It's unclear exactly what type of injury Bateman suffered, but he was seen walking off the field with a trainer while holding his midsection or ribs. The 24-year-old wasn't able to finish practice and may now be in danger of missing the team's preseason opener on Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Baltimore's coaching staff said all offseason that Bateman was going to have a much bigger role in the passing game in 2024 after he caught only 32 passes for 367 yards and one touchdown in 16 regular-season games a year ago. But Bateman has already dealt with multiple injuries in training camp, and fantasy managers will most likely want to see it before believing it with the former first-rounder.

When asked about running back Justice Hill, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh referred to him as a "high-value running back." It's apparent that Hill has solidified his role as the RB2 in Baltimore's backfield. "he's a high-caliber running back, I think he's going to play a lot," said Harbaugh. However, with Derrick Henry in front of him and Lamar Jackson slated to get his fair share of the team's carries, the opportunities will be scant for the fifth-year RB. Hill had the most productive season of his career in 2023, amassing 593 yards and four touchdowns on 112 total touches. He holds little standalone value but would be the most obvious player to benefit if Henry were to miss any time. Standing as the current RB72 in NFFC ADP, Hill presents as nothing more than a handcuff option or late-round best-ball flier.