TL;DR
- Lamar Jackson, a top fantasy QB, is underperforming significantly for the Baltimore Ravens.
- ESPN's Bill Barnwell questions if Jackson is still a viable QB1 due to minimal offensive output.
- Jackson's recent struggles may be linked to hamstring, knee, and ankle issues, impacting his rushing and passing yards.
- Fantasy managers face a dilemma benching Jackson despite his potential for explosive game-changing performances.
Lamar Jackson was selected early in fantasy football drafts among the top quarterbacks available.
Lately, the Baltimore Ravens' superstar hasn't been playing anything like that.
Sunday's matchup with The New York Jets was anticipated to be an opportunity for a significant offensive performance, but instead, Jackson's contribution was minimal.
At this point, writes ESPN's Bill Barnwell, it's hard to even view Jackson as a QB1.
"Jackson must be started in case he goes nuclear, but he's not even simmering now," Barnwell writes. "He had 153 passing yards, 11 rushing yards and no touchdowns Sunday against the Jets. Jackson has fallen short of 20 rushing yards in half of his games and hasn't rushed for more than 48 since Week 1. The Ravens are winning and have a soft schedule the rest of the way, so they could just lean on running back Derrick Henry and keep using Jackson as a point guard."
Barnwell's initial observation highlights the primary challenge when a player like Jackson experiences a slump: how to bench him, given his potential for a game-changing performance at any moment.
At least, that's usually the case. Maybe this version of Jackson is different.
Earlier this season, he was sidelined due to a hamstring issue, and subsequently, he's skipped practice on the last two Wednesdays, initially due to knee discomfort and later because of an ankle ailment.
Perhaps the Ravens opted for a less strenuous approach with their typically agile quarterback, aiming to solidify their position atop the AFC North.
Jackson's importance to Baltimore far outweighs the real-life push for any kind of stats for him. The Ravens just want to win.
It just means fantasy football managers who were counting on Jackson may be in a tough spot, with no obvious solution.
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