The Baltimore Ravens dominated all three facets of the game on Sunday, beating the Buffalo Bills to the tune of 47-3. If you started some of the Ravens’ players in fantasy football this weekend, you probably had a very good day.
While we whiffed on our Alex Collins prediction, the blowout nature of the game may have had a bit to do with his overall lack of success. Collins tallied 13 yards on 7 carries, salvaging his meager line with a touchdown plunge. He also had 1 reception for 6 yards. At 6.4 points on the day, Collins was Baltimore’s lowest-scoring running back. Javorius Allen (4 carries, 17 yards, 1 touchdown, 5 receptions, 15 yards) totaled 11.7 points, and Kenneth Dixon (13 carries, 44 yards, 1 touchdown) had 10.4 points on the day.
The rest of our predictions fared well, and one other familiar name topped them all.
QB Joe Flacco
The veteran quarterback certainly looked elite on Sunday, picking apart an overmatched Buffalo secondary. In two-and-a-half quarters of play, Flacco completed 25-of-34 passes for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns. His 21.74 fantasy points were tops among Baltimore players, and his score placed Flacco tenth among all quarterbacks for the season’s opening weekend.
Ravens D/ST
Baltimore’s stop unit made Buffalo look like a JV team, preventing the Bills from earning their first-first down until a LeSean McCoy 12-yard run to open the third quarter. Baltimore allowed 3 points, had 6 sacks, intercepted 2 passes, and nearly scored a touchdown while returning one of the picks. They scored 17 fantasy points, tied for third overall among all defenses this week.
WR Willie Snead IV
While all three of Baltimore’s top wideouts (Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Snead IV) had solid days, Snead IV ended up leading all Ravens wideouts in scoring for the week. He caught 4 passes on 6 targets, totaling 49 yards and a touchdown on the day. Baltimore’s revamped receiving corps looked outstanding on Sunday, especially given the torrential rains on the day. Snead IV is currently available in 98% of Yahoo! fantasy leagues, so if you’re looking for receiver help, taking a flier on the speedy slot receiver could be a good bet.