The Week 12 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns features two of the worst teams in the NFL going head-to-head. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 12: Ravens-Browns featuring Javorius Allen, Josh McCown, and Gary Barnidge
We break down the Week 12 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns.
Baltimore Ravens
A long season just got longer for the Baltimore Ravens, at least as of last week. That’s because the team lost both running back Justin Forsett and quarterback Joe Flacco for the remainder of the season with major injuries. Fantasy owners rushed to pick up Javorius Allen as a result. Allen all of a sudden becomes the focal point of the offense against the Browns. He parlayed 27 touches into 115 total yards against the St. Louis Rams last week. With Matt Schaub now at quarterback, it’s easy to see that Allen is going to be a busy guy the rest of the season.
Aside from the running game, receiver Kamar Aiken is probably the only other player worth a look in Baltimore right now. He is the default No. 1 receiver for the team. He’s received a healthy 22 targets over the last two games and those numbers probably won’t change for the rest of the season. It’s not as if he’s going to go out there on Sundays and put up touchdowns and 100-yard games consistently. But in deeper leagues where receivers are scarce, Aiken is worth a look. Although maybe not against Joe Haden and the Browns this week.
Cleveland Browns
With starter Johnny Manziel now relegated to being the team’s third-string quarterback for what appears to be the remainder of the season, Josh McCown has nobody standing in his way. Fantasy owners would be smart to pick him up this week as he gets set to take on the Ravens. That’s because McCown threw for a season-high 457 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore back in Week 5. While a repeat performance this week isn’t likely, the Ravens will struggle to move the ball offensively, which means McCown should have plenty of opportunities to keep the football in his hands.
McCown’s return is good news for tight end Gary Barnidge. Barnidge is the team’s leading pass catcher, boasting a stat line that includes 48 catches, 687 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s the most reliable weapon the team has all around, and McCown likes him more than Manziel does, which means Barnidge’s stock just got a shot in the arm. Bardnidge’s chance of finding the end zone again this week are very high.
