Is Zay Flowers Starting and Playing This Week? Week 18 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks

January 5, 2024

Is Baltimore WR Zay Flowers starting and playing in Week 18? Read the latest Zay Flowers fantasy football injury updates and outlook.

Baltimore Ravens speedster Zay Flowers has had a sensational rookie campaign. Too bad for his fantasy managers that roster him that it will probably end a game early.

Flowers has scored touchdowns in back-to-back games and has accounted for a dozen receptions for 178 yards in those contests. These games happened during the semifinal and final rounds of most fantasy football leagues, so it is safe to assume Flowers may have won his fantasy managers money and championships by having such great games during those crucial weeks. His current line for the season is 77-858-5, and he has added 56 yards and another TD as a rusher as well.

The problem for Flowers is that he is dealing with a calf injury, and that Baltimore’s final regular-season contest is virtually meaningless because the Ravens have wrapped up the AFC North title and the top seed in the AFC. So will Flowers be on the field for Baltimore during its season-finale on Saturday? Here is the latest:

Is Zay Flowers Starting and Playing Saturday?

It is looking unlikely that Flowers will suit up on Saturday. He was a DNP for Baltimore’s Tuesday. Wednesday, and Thursday practices, which does not bode well since the Ravens have a Saturday game and not a Sunday matchup. Even worse for him is that he was downgraded to doubtful over the course of the week. Still, Flowers has not been officially ruled out as of the writing of this column.

There is no good reason for Baltimore to risk further injury for Flowers by playing him against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flowers’ calf injury is not going to get better by running fly patterns and out routes against the tough division rival, and the Ravens need their top deep threat to be 100 percent healthy for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Giving Flowers off this weekend will give him two weeks of rest heading into their opening postseason game.

Look for other options at the receiver position this Saturday/weekend, including Baltimore’s No. 3 WR, Rashod Bateman, who will be the de facto No. 1 WR if both Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr, sit out.  Counting on Flowers is as risky as playing quarterback behind the New York Jets turnstile of an offensive line. Just do not forget about Flowers entirely. He should be a good get if you participate in a playoff fantasy league this NFL postseason.  But for this week, sit 'em!

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