Fantasy Upside
Mike Wallace is still a deep threat at age 29 and will be going to a Baltimore offense that was severely missing a player who could take the top off the defense last year after the departure of Torrey Smith in free agency. Quarterback Joe Flacco has a big-time arm and he may be able to find Wallace in a way that his last two quarterbacks (Teddy Bridgewater and Ryan Tannehill) struggled to. Wallace should enjoy playing in an offense directed by Marc Trestman. In each of his 10 seasons as a play-caller, Trestman's offense has ranked in the top half of the league in pass attempts.
Fantasy Downside
Wallace isn’t assured a starting spot for the Ravens. Fellow wide-out Kamar Aiken had his moments last season and should return fighting for a starting spot, and although both are returning from injury, Steve Smith Sr. and last year’s first-round pick Breshad Perriman will both be in play for a starting job. Rookie fourth-round pick Chris Moore may get a chance as well. Wallace is now five seasons removed from his last 1,000-plus yard season, and there’s no guarantee he’ll find his vintage form again.
2016 Bottom Line
Wallace is a low-risk, high-upside option for fantasy owners looking to add some pop to their lineup. While it’s very possible Wallace ends up doing very little this season and struggles to see consistent snaps, he’s going toward the end of drafts and owners could do worse than stashing a speedster on the back end of the roster. He gets a little added bonus in leagues that reward big plays and takes a bit of a hit in PPR leagues, as he’s never caught more than 73 passes in a season.