At the start of the year, this was flagged as one of the marquee Sunday Night Football matchups. Two presumptive AFC heavyweights trading blows in what would be a tightly contested affair. It’s not a foregone conclusion that it won’t be exciting, but the Los Angeles Chargers have lacked firepower throughout the campaign. Their offense has gone cold at times, and they boast one of the worst defenses in the league. Hopefully they don’t make it too easy for the Baltimore Ravens to walk away with this one.
This article will discuss 3-5 of my favorite pick’ems from various DFS sites like Betr, Sleeper Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Underdog Fantasy.
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Ravens-Chargers NFL Fantasy Pick’ems
Rashod Bateman Higher 2.5 Receptions
Rashod Bateman may have been usurped on the Ravens depth chart, but there’s still a lot to like about the speedster. Bateman is a regular on offense, starting six of 10 games this season, and he has taken on an increased role with the team over the past few weeks. That should eventually lead to a more prominent role on offense, progression we’re expecting to see on Sunday Night Football.
Bateman sees a decent amount of passes. The former Minnesota Gopher averages 3.1 targets per game, recording three or more in eight of 10 outings this season. Moreover, John Harbaugh has amplified Bateman’s usage, starting him in three straight games and resulting in a 68.7% snap count.
There will likely be more passes to go around against the Chargers’ lackluster secondary. On average, Los Angeles allows more passing yards than any other team, with the eighth-worst completion percentage and the most completions per game. The Ravens are good at exposing weaknesses and should find success in attacking the secondary.
If Lamar Jackson decided to just heave it up downfield, chances are a Ravens receiver would come down with it. Of course, Baltimore plays with more structure than that, allowing them to set their receivers up for success against the Chargers. You wouldn’t be wrong for taking the over on any pass-catcher projection, but we like Bateman to excel.
Editor’s note: at time of publish, this line was no longer available
Austin Ekeler Higher 12.5 Rushing Attempts
Brandon Staley took his foot off the pedal a little bit last week, reducing Austin Ekeler’s usage against the Green Bay Packers. Ekeler is poised for a bounceback performance in Week 12, shining under the bright lights Sunday night.
Last week was the first time this season that Ekeler had fewer than 14 carries. Prior to Week 11, Ekeler was averaging 15.3 carries per game, playing no fewer than 63% of snaps in any week he wasn’t injured. That bodes well for a bounce-back performance at SoFi Stadium, where Ekeler does his best work. The Chargers running back averages more carries and yards per game playing in his friendly confines, setting him up for success versus the Ravens.
As good as Baltimore has been defensively, their Achilles’ heel is defending the run. The Ravens allow a middling 103.7 rushing yards per game, jumping to 114.0 over their past three. Joe Mixon and Jerome Ford are the last two backs the Ravens have faced, and they combined for 176 yards on 33 carries.
We’re betting last week was the anomaly and Ekeler returns to his usual capacity Sunday. He’s been a workhorse at home, and the Ravens have a beatable rush defense. Ekeler is the go-to rusher out of the Chargers’ backfield. He should have more than 12.5 carries when the dust settles in this one.
Zay Flowers Higher 63.5 Receiving Yards
We can’t play just one Ravens receiver Sunday. Zay Flowers has been caught in a mini-slump lately. After a hot start to the campaign, the rookie wideout has been limited to 43 or fewer receiving yards in three of his last four. The remedy to break out of his current funk is a date with the Chargers.
Flowers has become the primary pass catcher in Baltimore. The 23-year-old has surpassed Mark Andrews in targets, receptions, and yards, illustrating his distinction in Jackson’s progression chart. Further, Flowers’ 73.6% catch rate is on par with Andrews’ benchmark, with both players boasting comparable yards-per-reception metrics.
Like Bateman, Flowers benefits from taking on a weak passing defense. Irrespective of whether the Chargers are at home or on the road, they don’t have the personnel or schemes to slow down opponents. We’re going to see just how bad they can be against the Ravens.
Flowers does his best work when he has space to extend the defense. Given the Chargers’ performances to date, there’s no reason to believe Flowers doesn’t excel in Week 12. He may not have the target share to exceed his receptions projection, but he should be able to stretch the defense and get past 63.5 receiving yards.
