DeAndre

Hopkins

Hopkins has seen 11 targets in his last three games and remains an easy fade for fantasy. He broke free in the end zone in the fourth quarter for what would have been an easy touchdown were it not for Lamar Jackson throwing the ball out of play, but it was another forgettable day for Hopkins, who will enter Week 13 sitting on 999 career receptions.

He practiced in full on Friday after a Thursday DNP. Hopkins remains just a FLEX dart throw at this stage of his career and gets massively less appealing if Lamar Jackson (questionable, hamstring) does not play against the Bears in Week 8.

Hopkins is the only Ravens player to miss practice on Thursday, and an illness is unlikely to sideline the veteran wide receiver on game day. Hopkins sneaks into the FLEX conversation, if active, with six teams on bye, but he largely serves as a fantasy-point booster for whichever quarterback is under center against the Bears this weekend.

The Ravens occasionally give veterans the day off on Thursdays, though the practice is certainly not the norm. Hopkins’ status is not contributing reliably enough to warrant weekly FLEX consideration, though having him on the field would certainly help Lamar Jackson’s (hamstring) scoring outlook if the quarterback can return this week. Hopkins’ practice participation is worth following.

He Mossed a ball over a Texans defender and rumbled 29 yards on Baltimore’s first drive. The Ravens’ passing attack was simply too inconsistent to deliver a second fantasy contributor behind Zay Flowers. Despite how good he’s looked in his limited sample this year, Hopkins won’t be a Week 6 play. Neither will Rashod Bateman after a bagel on three targets.

Hopkins was invisible in this one, taking on more of a rotational role while Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman functioned as every-down players. With five receptions over four games, Hopkins is a fantasy non-factor that should remain on waiver wires. He won’t be fantasy viable unless Flowers and Bateman miss time.

Hopkins’ longest play of the day came on a 41-yard reception on the Ravens’ first drive of the third quarter. The catch was initially called a touchdown before a review overturned it, but the veteran receiver was one yard away from a two-touchdown day. Lamar Jackson would later connect with Nuk on a 24-yard strike in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on an impressive second-half performance by the offense, upping Hopkins’ season production to 4-99-2 in what is a very limited role. Hopkins has run just 19 routes in his first two games with the Ravens, playing well behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. His high-level efficiency should warrant more looks, but we’ll need to see it before we can trust him as a fantasy asset.

In a game that saw the Ravens’ offense produce 40 points, the route totals run by their pass-catchers were shockingly low. Zay Flowers led the group with 22 on the evening, per PFF, while Hopkins’ 12 routes ranked fifth-fewest on the team, ahead of only Derrick Henry. Hopkins was always expected to see a reduced role after signing with the Ravens this offseason, but his 12 routes in a high-scoring Week 1 affair that saw the team drop back just 22 teams is an indicator his fantasy value could be worse than we initially suspected.

Hopkins made a spectacular, one-handed grab through two defenders for a touchdown in the third quarter, giving the Ravens their second 15-point lead of the final frame. Two three-and-outs and a Derrick Henry fumble allowed the Bills to score 16 unanswered points in the final four minutes to snatch the victory away. Hopkins was not in a route enough to return consistent fantasy production, something likely to remain the case throughout the season as the aging veteran adapts to a reduced role.

It’s not much of an update, but Harbaugh also didn’t sound like a coach overly concerned about Hopkins’ Week 1 availability. Hopkins’ knee injury was first reported on July 24, but the veteran receiver has still participated in some practices since then. We’ll assume that Monday’s absence isn’t much more than a management day until the team gives us reason to fear otherwise.