The Baltimore Ravens were ravaged by injuries during the team’s Week 8 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley each going down with injury. Jackson suffered a thumb injury on the team’s first play from scrimmage, and was placed on IR after undergoing thumb surgery. 

On Wednesday, reports revealed Huntley will miss the remainder of the season due to turf toe. Rookie signal-caller Joe Fagnano was set to take over as the team’s QB1 heading into a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Ravens’ trade on Wednesday raises a new candidate to command the offense during Jackson’s absence. 

The Ravens pulled off a deal to bring in former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and the 11th-year veteran will take over under center after Week 9. Reports indicate the trade won’t be completed until the weekend, and Fagnano will get the nod against Jacksonville on Thursday. 

Jacoby Brissett Trade Doesn’t Help Zay Flowers… Yet

Star wide receiver Zay Flowers felt the impact of Baltimore’s quarterback injuries more than anyone from a fantasy football perspective. He was held without a catch against Buffalo, and isn’t favored in projections heading into a matchup against the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL this season. 

He could struggle this week in a game that doesn’t favor a struggling Baltimore squad, with Brissett targeting a Week 10 debut for the team. The trade doesn’t affect Flowers’ outlook for Week 9, but the addition of the veteran signal-caller should help him sustain consistent production amid his breakout campaign. 

Ravens Will Have To Lean On Derrick Henry vs. Jaguars

With Fagnano set to lead the offense under center, fantasy managers should expect the Ravens’ offense to lean on Derrick Henry and the run game with vastly expanded volume in Week 9. This matchup doesn’t favor the rushing attack, with Jacksonville boasting the top-ranked run defense in football through the first eight weeks.

We can’t rule out a respectable performance from Henry despite the tough matchup, and we won’t try to. Henry leads the league in carries this season, enters Week 9 ranked seventh in rushing yards and third in rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars’ run defense is solid, but Henry poses an equally tough matchup for Jacksonville’s defense. 

His volume presents a reliable floor for fantasy managers to count on in Week 9, and will sustain a significant workload throughout the game, a trend that didn’t hold up against Buffalo last week.