Fantasy Upside
Joe Flacco was quietly seventh in the league with 279 passing yards per game during the 10 games he played last season, and despite the Ravens struggles, he completed a career-high 64.4 percent of his passes. Also, his receiving corps this year should be an improvement over what he’s had in previous seasons. Mike Wallace has his flaws, but can still get deep. Breshad Perriman could be an upgrade after missing his rookie season with an injury. Steve Smith Sr. has decided to return. Flacco has a strong arm and with improved talent around him, he has a chance to rebound nicely.
Fantasy Downside
The Ravens have never been a team with big-time fantasy numbers from the quarterback position, and Flacco is coming off a torn ACL in November, so there’s a lot to be concerned about. He’s often been a feast-or-famine fantasy player during his career, making him more valuable as a backup quarterback in best-ball leagues or for matchup starts than as a QB1. Flacco might have improved play around him this year, and the Ravens may go further as a result, but he’s unlikely to suddenly become a standout fantasy option at 31 years old, where quarterbacks tend to start their decline.
2016 Bottom Line
The quarterback position has gotten deeper and deeper from a fantasy perspective over the past few years, and with the concerns about Flacco’s injury and consistency, there’s no reason to reach on him in any fantasy format. You can likely get him towards the end of your draft as a viable backup, or use him as a streaming option throughout the season, grabbing him off the waiver wire when you need to in most leagues.