The Baltimore Ravens prepare for their critical Week 14 divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the AFC North lead at stake. Lamar Jackson did not practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday with an ankle injury. Will fantasy football managers have the two time MVP available for this must-win game?
Lamar Jackson Injury Update
Jackson was at practice on Wednesday in a bit of a surprise given his comments about likely getting Wednesdays off the rest of the season. The limited session represented the first time Jackson had participated in a Wednesday practice since November 5. This marked a departure from the pattern established over the previous four weeks, during which Jackson sat out Wednesdays while managing knee, ankle, and toe injuries.
The extra recovery time following Thursday’s Thanksgiving game against Cincinnati appeared to benefit Jackson. Head coach John Harbaugh had built a routine to keep Jackson healthy, repeatedly calling Wednesday absences “rest days” and explaining that some guys don’t practice on Wednesdays.
Things took a turn Thursday when Jackson did not practice at all. After being limited Wednesday with an ankle designation, Jackson was listed as a non-participant for Thursday’s session.
It’s possible this was a planned rest day. Some teams opt to give banged up players Wednesdays off or limited participation, while others schedule that off day later in the week to break up consecutive days of practice and aid recovery. It’s also possible Jackson’s ankle did not respond well to Wednesday’s practice and this represents a setback.
With that said, it seems unlikely Jackson would sit out this week’s key divisional matchup. The Ravens and Steelers are tied atop the AFC North with identical 6-6 records. Baltimore cannot afford to lose another game, especially this one.
The Ravens used up all their ability to play it slow with Jackson earlier in the season when he was recovering from his hamstring strain that cost him three games. Even if Jackson doesn’t return to practice Friday, he could still play Sunday. Ideally, he gets in at least a limited session to demonstrate the ankle is manageable.
Jackson’s Fantasy Outlook
Jackson has thrown at least 23 passes without a touchdown toss in three straight games. That’s the first such instance in his great career and the first such instance in the NFL this season. Things just haven’t looked right and the reason behind it is pretty simple.
He’s not threatening defenses in the same way with his legs (yet to have a 20-yard run and his 5.1 yards per carry are tracking to be his lowest since his rookie season) and that’s made making plays on third down an uphill battle.
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In his nine starts this season, he’s completed just 52.6% of his third down passes with one score and one pick. Last season, one that had him in the MVP conversation until the very end, he completed 62.2% of his passes in that spot, racking up 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the process.
At 6-6, does Jackson feed into the desperation of the moment and do what comes naturally?
I hope so!
He ran nine times for just 22 yards in his last meeting with these Steelers, but that was in a spot where he was having elite success through the air (9.0 YPA with one-fifth of his completions resulting in a touchdown). At my core, I’m an optimist and that’s the stance I’m taking here: back to basics for Jackson this week and a nice opportunity next weekend to make good on the Bengals matchup that he failed to come through last week.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe