Wondering should I start Zay Flowers in Week [X]? Factors to consider for your decision.

Alright, let’s talk about this week’s lineup headache. The big one staring me right in the face is Zay Flowers. Do I roll him out there or stick him on the pine? It’s been bouncing around my head for a couple of days now.

So, first thing I did, like I always do, is just sit back and think about the guy himself. He’s clearly got talent. You see it on the field, the quickness, the routes. He gets looks, which is important, right? Lamar Jackson isn’t afraid to target him.

But then the doubts creep in. The Ravens offense… sometimes it feels like they wanna run the ball 50 times. And even when they pass, Lamar spreads it out. Mark Andrews is healthy, Odell is there sometimes, even the running backs get involved. Where does Flowers fit into that pecking order consistently?

My Process This Week

Okay, enough navel-gazing. I actually started digging into it yesterday evening.

• Checked his recent performance: I pulled up his game logs. How many targets did he actually get the last few weeks? How many catches? Yards? Did he find the endzone? Looking for trends, you know. Sometimes you remember the big plays but forget the quiet weeks. His targets have been okay, maybe not elite volume, but decent.
• Looked at the matchup: This is crucial. Who are the Ravens playing? I checked out the defensive stats for their opponent this week. Are they tough against wide receivers? Do they give up big plays? Do they have a shutdown corner who might shadow him? This week’s matchup looks… well, it’s not exactly a walk in the park. They have a decent secondary.
• Injury Reports: Always gotta check this. Is Flowers himself banged up? Is Lamar healthy? What about the other pass-catchers like Andrews or Bateman? Looks like Flowers is good to go, and so is Andrews. That Andrews part is key – he definitely eats into the target share.
• Game Script Thoughts: How do I see the game playing out? If I think the Ravens are going to get ahead early and run the clock out, that’s bad for Flowers. If I think it’ll be a shootout, that’s obviously better. Predicting game flow is tricky, feels like a coin toss sometimes.

Comparing Him to My Bench

This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s not just about Flowers in a vacuum. I looked at who else I have sitting on my bench.

I got Player A, who feels like a safer bet for maybe 8-10 points, but doesn’t have that blow-up potential. Then there’s Player B, who’s super volatile – could get me 20 points or could get me 2. Flowers feels somewhere in between those guys this week.

The Decision (For Now…)

So, after going through all that? It’s still a tough call. Flowers has that electricity, that chance to break a long one any time he touches the ball. You start him hoping for that ceiling performance.

But the matchup isn’t great, and the target competition with a healthy Andrews is real. It lowers his floor, I think. For my specific matchup this week, I think I need stability more than a home run.

So, right now, I’m leaning towards benching him. It hurts a little, because I like the player. But looking at the matchup and the other options I have, putting Player A in feels like the slightly smarter play for my situation this week. Ask me again in an hour, though, I might have changed my mind again. That’s fantasy football for ya.