Fantasy Football Player Notes

After seeing 34 targets over the first four games last year, Brown saw just 37 of them over the final 10 games. Injuries mounted up and his performances suffered. Now, after a healthy offseason, we'll see what he's capable of. The matchup with the Browns should be a decent one, as they figure to go with a zone-heavy scheme under Joe Woods (if he carries over what the defensive backs did in San Francisco). Brown crushed zone coverage last year, catching 22-of-31 targets for 310 yards and four touchdowns. When targeting Brown in zone, Lamar Jackson posted a 142.3 QB Rating. On top of that, it appears that Greedy Williams will not be available for this game, as he's nursing a shoulder injury. The Browns cornerback depth chart is not deep. The Ravens have talked about throwing the ball a bit more this year, so knowing how well the matchup aligns for Brown, you should be starting him as a high-upside WR3. Does he come with some downside? Sure, but he offers game-breaking/week-changing upside. He should be a tournament favorite this week in a game that's projected for nearly 50 points.

The fact that the Ravens brought in Dez Bryant for a workout might tell us that they believe Boykin has a ways to go before being a sturdy contributor, though it helps that they didn't sign Bryant. Boykin figures to be on the field in 2WR sets opposite Marquise Brown, but knowing they targeted wide receivers just 10.8 times per game last year, it's tough to say there'll be one consistent wide receiver, let alone two of them. Boykin did do a good job with the limited opportunity he got in 2019, hauling in 198 yards and three touchdowns on just 22 targets. But again, once you think you want to trust him, don't forget they gave Seth Roberts and Willie Snead more targets than him in 2019. The Browns themselves weren't a matchup you needed to attack with wide receivers last year either, as they allowed the ninth-fewest points to the position. Boykin did have the best game of his 2019 season against them (3/32/1), though that's not saying much. As the No. 3 option (at best) in a low-volume passing attack, take the wait-and-see approach with Boykin.