Should I Drop Ravens D/ST? Fantasy Football Outlook

The Baltimore Ravens D/ST was one of the best defenses to own in fantasy football in 2023, finishing as the No. 2 overall D/ST. It intercepted opposing passers 18 times, recovered 10 fumbles, and allowed just 15.5 points per game to opposing offenses, which was the best mark in the league.

2024 hasn't been kind to managers who drafted the Ravens D/ST. Through three games, it is the No. 20 overall defense, having averaged just six fantasy points per game. It has allowed 26 points per game, most confusingly allowing the Las Vegas Raiders to score 26 points on it at home.

The Ravens D/ST doesn't look like the surefire top-tier pick it once was. Is it a safe drop in fantasy football? Let's dive in.

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Should I Drop Ravens D/ST in Fantasy Football?

While it's a bit early to pull the trigger on dropping a talented defensive unit that's under new control in 2024, the early results aren't promising. The Ravens still have talented playmakers across their defensive unit, like LB Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamilton, and CB Marlon Humphrey.

Early look at how well CBs have prevented separation and their play on the ball pic.twitter.com/sDsQroTkMz

— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) September 25, 2024

Both Humphrey and fellow CB Brandon Stephens have excellent on-ball grades and separation-prevented grades, meaning the advanced metrics show they are playing well. The Ravens are also allowing a ridiculously low 2.8 yards per rush by opposing teams. No other team has allowed below 3.5.

Here is a look at defensive passing yards allowed vs. rushing yards allowed.

The #Steelers are an elite defense.

The #Colts and #Rams, on the other hand, cannot stop anything. The #Ravens can stop the run, but not the pass.#NFL pic.twitter.com/sHrN3wBDTi

— Brad Congelio 🏈📊🧑‍💻 (@BradCongelio) September 23, 2024

Despite this, the Ravens have been very bad at defending the pass. They struggled to stop even QB Gardner Minshew II of the Las Vegas Raiders, who was a backup for many years before stepping into the Colts starting job due to injury in 2023 and being signed by the Raiders this offseason.

The Ravens have allowed the most passing yards per game by a wide margin at 291.7 yards per game. No other team has allowed for more than 256. It's anemic, and the Ravens D/ST will not be anything close to a top fantasy option if the Ravens can't shore up their ability to stop opposing teams from winning through the air.

Ravens pass "defense" thus far

1st 3 Games of 2024: 875 pass yards allowed (32nd)

1st 5 Games of 2023: 875 pass yards allowed (2nd)

— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) September 23, 2024

Though it's probably wise to hang onto the Ravens D/ST for a bit longer, if you have it on any of your fantasy teams, you may want to consider picking up another defense to fill in for it.

Who Should I Pickup in Week 4 Fantasy Football?

Unfortunately, waivers have mostly been processed for Week 4, and if you weren't able to snag the Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings D/STs, you may want to resort to streaming options. Luckily, there is one option that should still be on waivers that has soft matchups and theoretically should perform well enough.

The Tennessee Titans face the Miami Dolphins, who lost their first and second QBs to injury, meaning newly signed Tyler Huntley or third-stringer Tim Boyle is slated to lead the team in Week 4. Huntley and Boyle are not good quarterbacks to be starting, but the Dolphins have no choice. The Titans could have an easy time bottling up the Dolphins.

The rest of the D/STs that aren't rostered this week are either facing tough opponents or are terrible defenses to begin with, so if you aren't able to get the Titans, you could be in for a rough week.

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