Baltimore Ravens DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (illness) was sent home from training camp practice on Sunday with an illness. Jackson should return to practice at some point next week and will be a top-five fantasy QB in 2024 after winning his second NFL MVP award in 2023. The biggest storyline of the offseason for the 27-year-old dual-threat signal-caller is that he dropped weight in order to be more agile in 2024, as if he wasn't agile enough already. The biggest question for fantasy managers is whether his drop in weight will make him more injury-prone. New running back Derrick Henry could steal plenty of goal-line opportunities away from Jackson, but he should still maintain high-end fantasy upside heading into his seventh season in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee), whose rookie season ended in 2023 due to an ACL tear in his left knee in December, was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday to start training camp. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise after the 22-year-old suffered the season-ending injury late last year. The bigger question will be whether Mitchell can make enough progress this summer to avoid staying on the PUP list for the start of the regular season, which would mean he'd have to miss at least the first four games of 2024. When healthy, he'll be a speedy complement to new RB Derrick Henry in Baltimore. Mitchell still has plenty of intrigue in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he'll most likely be left to the waiver wire in 12-team leagues this fall, especially if he stays on the PUP list to begin the regular season.

Houston Texans wide receiver Steven Sims recently expressed his optimism and excitement about the new-look Houston wide receiver room. In the offseason, the Texans made a big splash and acquired the four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills. Diggs joins a group of budding stars in Tank Dell and Nico Collins. In addition to adding Diggs, the Texans also welcomed Joe Mixon from Cincinnati to lead them on the ground. Sims expressed on KPRC Houston that, "I can't wait to get back to camp. It's going to be so much fun. I feel like there's going to be a lot of big plays a lot of fun, but it's a business, and it's work. It's time to get back to work, and I'm excited to go back to work with the group we've got I feel like from top to bottom, everybody can get it done." Diggs caught 107 passes last season, which placed him seventh in the league, Collins posed his first 1,000-yard season, and Tank Dell scored seven touchdowns in just 11 games. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud will be one of the first quarterbacks selected in fantasy leagues this summer due to the surplus of playmakers he has at his disposal.

Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning he's not guaranteed a Week 1 roster spot. The Ravens have Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, and Keaton Mitchell (knee) on the roster, so he's likely to need to carve out a special teams role. "Ali faces a battle to find a role as a rookie," Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com wrote. "Special teams may represent Ali's best opportunity. He suffered a biceps injury at the Senior Bowl that sidelined him during rookie minicamp, but Ali was on the field for mandatory minicamp and figures to see plenty of preseason action. With Mitchell not scheduled to return until sometime during the preseason, Ali has an opportunity to provide added depth to the running back room." Ali rushed 212 times for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season at Marshall, and his 28 receptions for 213 yards prove he has at least some pass-catching chops, too. Ali should be on the fantasy radar in deep dynasty leagues, but it would be a surprise if he's fantasy-friendly in 2024 redraft setups.

The Carolina Panthers made no move to extend wide receiver Diontae Johnson after trading for the former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout in March, as they prefer to see whether he emerges as the explosive, coverage-separating pass-catcher that quarterback Bryce Young and the offense lacked in 2023. If Johnson proves he's a difference-maker in his first year in Carolina and if he doesn't become a distraction when the ball doesn't come his way, he could be set to cash in next offseason in a receiver market that has exploded in recent years. The 27-year-old disappointed as Pittsburgh's top receiver last year, catching a career-low 51 passes for 717 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson will now be competing with veteran Adam Thielen for targets in what was the worst offense in the league last year. Most of Johnson's fantasy value will be tied to how much Young improves in Year 2. Consider Johnson a low-end WR3/high-WR4 target in fantasy drafts.