Lions vs. Ravens: Week 7 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers

Welcome to our Lions vs. Ravens fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em matchups analysis article for Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens

Spread: Ravens -3.0
Implied Total: Lions (19.5) vs. Ravens (22.5)
Pace: Lions (31st) vs. Ravens (24th)
Lions Off. DVOA: 47.2% Pass (4th), -3.2% Rush (7th)
Ravens Off. DVOA: 15.4% Pass (14th), -12.5% Rush (4th)
Lions Def. DVOA: -11.3% Pass (5th), -27.3% Rush (3rd)
Ravens Def. DVOA: -14.6% Pass (3rd), -19.6% Rush (7th)

Matchups We Love

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET)

Of all the players on both sides, St. Brown is by far the one to be most excited for. Only health can slow him down. The matchup isn't ideal, but the volume is among the league's best. Beyond him, it was Josh Reynolds and Jameson Williams earning three targets each and making plays. Williams hauled in a 45-yard bomb in the end zone on a nice throw from Jared Goff. What's interesting is the pass/run ratio after David Montgomery got hurt went from 56%/44% to 74%/26% in a game they never trailed. It's likely due to personnel given they were without Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, but they'll be without at least Montgomery, making Reynolds and Williams flex options. Reynolds with more of a floor and Williams with the ceiling.

UPDATE: Gibbs is good to go while Reynolds is questionable for Sunday's game. It's going to be a lot of Gibbs in this one, especially on the ground.

Matchups We Hate

Ravens RBs

Gus Edwards reclaimed the lead back role, dominating the carries 16 to eight over Justice Hill. Hill still operated as the receiving back with three targets. The matchup is very difficult and you never know how much Lamar Jackson will mix in, so they're also in the flex range as players who will probably need to score to deliver with Hill as the favorite for the receptions.

Jared Goff (QB, DET)

Goff played a nice game with no turnovers and took only three sacks. His 44 passing attempts were nine more than any other outing this season, which we discussed above. It's not in their best interest to become one-dimensional, but the responsibility will shift to Goff with the backfield banged up. The Ravens are among the best in the league in coverage, ranking second, according to PFF, so Goff slides into the high-end streamer range. With so many signal-callers injured, he's still likely to land in the top 12.

Other Matchups

Lamar Jackson (QB, BAL)

The Ravens generated only 242 yards of offense, including 149 passing yards in a plus-matchup. It was sufficient to beat the Titans, but they'll need more from Jackson and Co. to hang with Detroit. Once again, they could not convert third downs and sustain drives, resulting in just 17 passing attempts and 22 carries. The matchup and ineptitude of this unit push Jackson outside the top five.

Mark Andrews (TE, BAL)

No one finished with more than two receptions, so inevitably it was a poor outing for Andrews. Jackson went back to spreading the ball around, involving seven different players despite the minimal passing attempts. It's a recipe for disaster. Andrews is still too good to pivot off of, but the other tight end in the game is firmly ahead of him.

Zay Flowers (WR, BAL)

Flowers earned the most targets (five) and accounted for their only touchdown. It wasn't pretty, but he seems to be emerging as the No. 1 option, even ahead of Andrews. There's no way Baltimore will survive with such few passing attempts, so Flowers is back in the top 24. The battle between Nelson Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rashod Bateman is trending toward Agholor. Unfortunately, outside of a desperation flex option, it's best to look elsewhere for a receiver after Flowers.

Sam LaPorta (TE, DET)

LaPorta was nursing a calf injury all week that made him questionable to play. He gutted it out and saw 11 targets. His four receptions for 36 yards were disappointing, but the volume is awesome. The Ravens have allowed the fewest fantasy points to tight ends this year, but much of that is who they've faced (Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indy, and Cincy). LaPorta remains an elite option as the true No. 2 in the offense.

Notable Injuries

David Montgomery (ribs)
Craig Reynolds (hamstring/toe)

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