Justice

Hill

Hill had more catches than carries for the fourth time this year. A pass-heavy script for Baltimore meant an uptick in opportunities for the passing-downs specialist, though he didn’t do much with the extra opportunities. Hill has an RB4 pulse in PPR formats but isn’t much of a factor in leagues that are less kind to pass-catchers. Fantasy managers don’t need to hold him through Baltimore’s upcoming bye week.

Hill watched from the sidelines for most of the game as the team finally got Derrick Henry going early in the second quarter, spelling the veteran power back only when he needed a breather. One of those times resulted in a 51-yard touchdown scamper for Hill in the fourth quarter to send the Ravens up by two touchdowns, a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the game. Hill continues to return sporadic spike weeks but is not an option in most standard fantasy leagues for as long as Henry remains healthy.

Hill promisingly progressed to Full Participant status on Friday, putting him on track to play on Monday as long as he remains symptom-free. Assuming he is good to go, Hill is RB3/flex-viable in what should be a pass-heavy game against the Chargers.

With the Ravens not playing until Monday night, Hill has some extra time to make it through concussion protocol to be active for Week 12. Even if active, Hill’s fantasy value is too spotty to rely on. The veteran running back has just two top-24 fantasy finishes in PPR leagues this season and is averaging 7.8 fantasy points per game. He’s a full fade regardless of availability.

Hill “added” two rushes for zero yards. Not the best night at the office. The only good news was that a returning Keaton Mitchell played all of two snaps. We doubt Mitchell challenges Hill’s change-of-pace status any time soon, but more nights like tonight won’t help. The Steelers are on tap for Week 11.

Lamar Jackson dropped a deep shot in the bucket for a 24-yard grab from Hill in the second quarter. Hill also got a crack at goal line duties in the third quarter but couldn’t punch it in from four yards out. Fullback Patrick Ricard caught a three-yard touchdown on the next play. Hill has made the occasional splash play for Baltimore but doesn’t see the ball enough to escape the RB5 ranks. He will fall off the fantasy radar entirely when Keaton Mitchell returns from injured reserve.

Mitchell has been on the PUP list after sustaining a major knee injury in the middle of the 2023 season. Mitchell was productive in limited opportunity during his rookie season, rushing for 396 yards and four touchdowns on just 47 attempts over eight games. He also had 93 yards on a mere nine receptions. Mitchell, when he returns to the Baltimore offense, could cut into Justice Hill’s snaps as the team’s primary pass-catching back.

Hill’s 18-yard touchdown scamper came as Tampa sent a full blitz at Lamar Jackson, leaving Hill and four offensive linemen alone to truck ahead the rest of the way through the red zone. Hill continues to be dynamic when targeted in the screen game, but he’ll remain a what-the-heck FLEX at best behind Derrick Henry.

Hill also caught his lone target for a two-yard gain. The Ravens’ RB2 continues to see inconsistent usage, making him a difficult player to trust in fantasy. His four total yards from scrimmage marked his fewest in a game this season. He’ll be off the fantasy radar in Week 7 against the Buccaneers.

It’s surprising Hill didn’t catch more balls on an afternoon where the Ravens were in a back-and-forth passing affair with the Bengals, but he didn’t lose any work to a returning Rasheen Ali. Hill remains a low-upside PPR FLEX heading into an admittedly-plus Week 6 against the Commanders.