I’ll post on this later today, but I took the Ravens -7.5 in Circa Millions — the Dolphins were an obvious sell high, and the Ravens needed a get well game with Lamar Jackson back. The Dolphins actually outplayed the Ravens in the first half, but turnovers, both via fumble and on downs and a missed FG made the difference. The Dolphins were more efficient and smooth on a per-play basis to that point, but part of what makes good teams good and bad teams bad is how well they capitalize on their level of play. In the second half, the wheels came off for Miami — the Ravens got pressure, Tua looked lost and Derrick Henry got rolling.
I also used Mark Andrews at tight end for my primetime team over Kyle Pitts. That’s the team that was in first (now in second) but lost Malik Nabers (1.7), Puka Nacua (2.6), Garrett Wilson (3.6) and Cam Skattebo. I should get Nacua back this week and hopefully Wilson next, so it’s important to make good decisions while it still has a pulse. That Pitts is questionable and I have only Harold Fannin (bye) made it an easy call to play Andrews, and it’s now just about whether I use Pitts or Kayshon Butte in the flex. But it was nice to see Andrews go off.
I also have Jackson in two non-NFFC leagues, and I needed that output badly. Bottom line, that game went about as well as I could have hoped.
Jackson threw the ball well, made no mistakes and mostly looked like himself. The only negative was he seemed more hesitant than usual to scramble and test the hamstring. He did on one play and seemed okay, but it’s something to watch.
Henry started slowly but got rolling in the second half. He’s still very fast once he gets up to full speed.
It looks like Keaton Mitchell (four carries, one target) might have surpassed Justice Hill (two carries, two targets) on the depth chart. Doesn’t matter unless Henry gets hurt, but it would matter a lot in that case.
Andrews only had two catches, but both were for TDs. He’s also the short-yardage/goal-line “ass smash” guy which could net him an extra couple TDs over the second half of the year. ESPN’s Mike Clay posted a useful graphic on Twitter of teams with the hardest and easiest schedules in the 1H/2H of the year by position. The Ravens had the hardest TE schedule and now get the easiest, starting with the Dolphins last night.
Tua looks so smooth with that quick release on throws to Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane, but if that first read isn’t there, and he has to improvise he’s in deep trouble. It’s also sad how at the end of the first half, the Dolphins couldn’t even attempt a Hail Mary from midfield. (I swear with a three step start I could heave a ball beyond the goal line from my own 45 when I was younger.)
Achane is so smooth, quick and fast, I thought he might break one on almost every play. He’s a lighter, quicker Jahmyr Gibbs. Would be such a game-wrecker on a team like the Chiefs.
Waddle got open consistently and would have had well over 100 yards but for a big play that got called back due to a penalty. He’s the obvious No. 1, but his upside’s limited with Tua.