The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the hardest teams in the NFL to predict from a fantasy football standpoint.
In each of the Ravens three games they have utilized very different offensive game plans.
For fantasy football managers, that has resulted in some exciting, productive weeks and a few "bust" weeks, too.
Ahead of a Week 4 matchup with the Buffalo Bills on "Sunday Night Football," we look at whether three Ravens — Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely — are worthy of starting in fantasy football.
Zay Flowers, WR — Start him
After a productive first two weeks, including a 7-91-1 line in Week 2, Flowers was unexpectedly quiet against the Dallas Cowboys, catching three of four targets for 20 yards.
The Ravens leaned heavily on their run game in Week 3, and when Lamar Jackson did pass, he spread the ball around, even getting players like Nelson Aholor and third-string tight end Charlie Kolar involved.
We're expecting a bounce-back week for Flowers in Week 4.
The Bills haven't allowed big passing performances this season, but there are some asterisks there. They played the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, when seemingly every team was still shaking off the rust. They played the Miami Dolphins in a Week 2 game in which Tua Tagovailoa left early with a concussion. And their Week 3 game came against a reeling Jacksonville Jaguars team whose offense is a mess.
The Ravens are a higher-quality passing attack, and they might need to throw more to keep pace with the Bills offense.
It feels unlikely that the Ravens would reduce their top receiver — who wants to post a 1,000-yard season — to an afterthought again.
Mark Andrews, TE — Sit him
We understand if fantasy managers drafted Andrews too high to sit him.
But at this point, Andrews is in a prove-it position when it comes to fantasy football.
The 29-year-old tight end has just five catches on eight targets for 65 yards and 0 TDs this year. Last week, he played just 33% of snaps and was out-snapped by Isaiah Likely. Andrews was still in heavily involved in the blocking game, so it's not as if he isn't playing. John Harbaugh said Andrews' lack of usage in the passing game was just a matter of the game plan.
But so far, Andrews has been an afterthought in an offense that has more heavily featured Flowers, Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Isaiah Likely, and even Lamar Jackson himself.
Benching Andrews comes with some risk — there will eventually be a game where he explodes for big numbers and looks like the Andrews of old. It could even be this week.
But Andrews owners should go off of what we've seen this season and bench the tight end until he has a game where he's featured more heavily.
Isaiah Likely — Sit him
It may sound contradictory to suggest sitting Likely, given that we suggested starting Flowers because the Ravens might need to throw the ball against the Bills. But Likely's floor has been so low the last two weeks that it's dicey to gamble on another big performance when thus far, he's been a boom-or-bust player.
But much like Andrews, Likely has been almost invisible since his Week 1 explosion against the Chiefs. The third-year tight end has just three catches for 30 yards combined over the last two games.
Like Andrews, benching Likely comes with some risk. The Ravens still plan to use Likely this season, so he's going to have another week where he puts up big numbers.
But Week 4 should offer some more insight into just how reliable Likely might be going forward.
More Ravens news:
NFL Week 4 picks, predictions: Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills
John Harbaugh explains why Ravens' Justin Tucker is suddenly struggling
Derrick Henry's $240,000 body maintenance plan is already paying off
