In a matchup that featured the top two candidates for league MVP earlier this year, it was the Baltimore Ravens who ultimately dominated the Buffalo Bills on their way to a 35-10 victory, which sets the stage for an epic rematch of two quarterbacks looking to elevate their legacy.
Here is a closer look at the top 5 DFS options for the Ravens-Bills Divisional Round matchup this weekend.
1. Lamar Jackson
If I had to choose between the two correct answers that exist at quarterback in this contest, then Iâm going to roll with the player who finished the year as the QB1 overall in fantasy football.
Lamar Jacksonâs regular season dominance speaks for itself with career highs in both passing yards (4,172) and touchdowns (41) with just four interceptions while adding another 915 yards and four scores on the ground, but what is encouraging is that this high level of play was showcased in their Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend too.
Jackson casually threw for 175 yards and two scores on just 21 pass attempts while adding another 81 yards on the ground last week in a game where the Ravens were facing off against an outmatched Steelers squad that found themselves in a big 21-point deficit at halftime.
Those numbers look pretty similar to his great performance against the Bills when he produced 210 total yards and three total scores back in October.
Whether the Ravensâ offense is playing with a lead or facing a negative game script, Jackson has proven he is the elite option in fantasy football this year.
2. Josh Allen
Josh Allen has simply continued to Josh Allen things in 2024, even without the services of Stefon Diggs.
Allenâs six interceptions are a career low and are paired with 3,731 yards and 28 scores through the air with an additional 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground. This outstanding production led him to finishing as a top 2 fantasy QB for a fifth straight season.
Allenâs excellence was on display again in the Wild Card Round when he torched one of the best passing defenses in the league with 272 yards and two scores through the air while adding another 46 yards on eight carries in their win against the Denver Broncos.
Unfortunately, one of the few bad performances of his 2024 campaign came against the Ravens where he failed to produce a single passing or rushing score with just 201 total yards in their 35-10 loss at the hands of Baltimore.
Despite the bad performance and the improved play of the Ravens defense over the last month of the season, Allen is still a great DFS option this weekend with his elite fantasy upside.
3. Derrick Henry
All Hail to the King.
Derrick Henry continued his excellent 2024 campaign with a vintage postseason performance in the Ravens 28-14 win over the Steelers with an absurd 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns to send Baltimore to the Divisional Round.
Henryâs first year in the Queen City has arguably been the best of illustrious career with 1,921 yards and 16 scores on the ground to go with an additional 193 yards and two scores through the air.
What is even more impressive is at 30+ years old, Henry is having the most efficient year of his career at 5.91 yards per carry. For some more context, Henry actually toppled that per touch efficiency over the Wild Card Weekend with an average of 7.2 yards per carry on 26 carries against the Steelers on Saturday.
This should strike fear into the hearts of the Bills Mafia because Henryâs 209 total yards and two scores means he was actually more dominant against this Buffalo defense than he was on Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Despite still not having an elite pass catching floor and the downside of limited carries if the Ravens face a negative game script against Allen and the Bills offense, Henry should still be considered an elite DFS option at the RB position this weekend.
4. James Cook
James Cook delivered one of the best performances of his career in a huge postseason win against the Denver Broncos last weekend with 120 rushing yards and a score on 23 carries to help Bills punch their ticket to the Divisional Round.
While Cookâs yardage totals slightly dropped from his breakout 2023 campaign, his fantasy value actually rose by scoring 18 total touchdowns over his 239 touches in 2024.
If you want to argue that Cook is an elite playmaker in this league, Iâm willing to hear the argument. Yet, one canât make a claim that he sees an elite volume of work at the RB position.
Over the final six regular season games of his 2024 campaign, Cook failed to see a 50% snap share in all of those contests.
This makes him a potential game script liability in your lineup if the Bills defense continues to struggle against this Ravens offense like they did earlier this season, and the Buffalo feels to keep pace early in the game.
Cook had his second lowest fantasy outing of the 2024 season against the Ravens back in Week 4, producing just 48 total yards on just 10 touches with no scores.
Cook has plenty of big play upside, but he does carry a bit more risk than some of the other top options at the position in a tough matchup against an improved Ravens defense.
5. Rashod Bateman
The reception totals and yards may not always fall into the elite category, but there is simply no denying at this point that Rashod Bateman is a consistent part of this productive passing attack.
Bateman managed to find the end zone against the Steelers last weekend on one of his two receptions, but produced just 24 yards while operating in a positive game script for the majority of the contest.
Bateman scored nine touchdowns over his 45 receptions this year, which is insanely high considering his low volume. Yet, this offense produces so many scoring opportunities a game that it has managed to make him a viable fantasy option this season.
This viability only rises if Zay Flowers is unable to go again for this matchup, but Bateman is still worth a look for your lineup with his consistent red zone work and production in this high powered offense.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Top 5 DFS Options: Ravens vs. Bills Divisional Round Matchup appeared first on Heavy Sports.