BAL · QB
Projected Points (PPR)
This week
No projection changes recorded this week.
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Lamar Jackson is the unquestioned starter under center in Baltimore, taking 100% of the offensive snaps through the first two games of 2026 after handling 92.5% of the load across thirteen starts a year ago. Volume has followed him accordingly: fifty-six pass attempts and eleven carries so far this season, a pace that mirrors the balance he showed in 2025 when he threw three hundred two times and ran sixty-seven. The passing efficiency has ticked up further, with a 67.86% completion rate through two games compared to 63.58% across all of last season. That efficiency, paired with a rushing element that already includes seventy-four yards and one score in a small sample, is what makes his weekly ceiling different from a pure pocket passer. The receiving corps around him is anchored by Zay Flowers as the primary wideout, and Mark Andrews remains the starting tight end, giving Jackson a security-blanket target in the short and intermediate game even when Derrick Henry commands early-down carries out of the backfield. Henry's presence as the running back keeps defenses honest against the run, which in turn opens play-action opportunities for Jackson downfield. Every meaningful snap in this offense still runs through him, and nothing about the current usage pattern suggests any change to that arrangement.
The case for Lamar Jackson starts with the twin-threat profile that has made him one of the position's most explosive weekly scorers historically. Through two games this season he has produced 40.76 PPR points, a per-game pace of 20.4 that would represent a meaningful step forward from last year's 17.1 per-game mark across thirteen games. The completion percentage bump, from 63.58% in 2025 to 67.86% so far in 2026, suggests a passer operating with more precision, not less, and the rushing production, sixty-seven carries for three hundred forty-nine yards and two touchdowns last year against eleven carries for seventy-four yards and one score already this year, shows the legs remain a weekly floor-raiser regardless of how the passing game trends. Mark Andrews gives him a reliable underneath option who has been part of this passing offense for eight years, and that continuity matters when a quarterback needs a security valve on third down. Zay Flowers, now in his third season as the top wideout, provides a separation threat that can turn short completions into long gains, which plays well with Jackson's ability to extend plays. The honest counter-argument is that a finish of twentieth among all players at his position in PPR scoring last season, over a full slate of thirteen starts, is not an RB1-caliber or elite finish by the standard that his draft price often assumes. Seven interceptions against twenty-one passing touchdowns in 2025 is a respectable but unspectacular ratio, and two thousand five hundred forty-nine passing yards across thirteen starts is modest volume by modern standards, even accounting for his rushing floor. There is also the matter of touchdown efficiency: two rushing touchdowns on sixty-seven attempts last season is a low conversion rate for a player whose fantasy profile depends partly on goal-line usage, and if Derrick Henry continues to command work near the end zone, some of those short-yardage opportunities may not go through Jackson at all. The passing touchdown pace so far this season, two scores on fifty-six attempts, is not remarkable in isolation, and it will take a larger sample before anyone can say definitively whether the improved completion percentage is a real skill jump or an early-season blip. On balance, the profile remains one of the few at the position built on two distinct scoring paths rather than one. Even in a season that finished twentieth overall, the rushing floor kept his weekly points per game respectable, and the early returns this year point toward the passing efficiency finally catching up to the accuracy he has flashed in prior years. The offense around him, with Zay Flowers stretching the field and Mark Andrews working the middle, gives him enough weapons that the passing production does not have to carry the week by itself.
Lamar Jackson belongs in the starting lineup every week he is active, full stop. The dual-threat math is straightforward: a passer who is also averaging real rushing volume, eleven carries for seventy-four yards already this season on top of sixty-seven carries for three hundred forty-nine yards a season ago, gives a manager a rushing floor that most passers simply do not have. That floor makes him a start even in a week where the passing volume looks thin on paper, because a long scramble or a short touchdown run can make up the difference in PPR scoring. What would change this? If the pass-attempt count keeps trending toward the fifty-six through two games rather than the three hundred two over a full season, defenses may be selling out to stop the run first, which could compress his rushing lanes even as it opens easier throws to Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers underneath. Watch the interception count too; seven a season ago against twenty-one touchdowns is manageable, but a spike in turnovers would cut into weekly ceiling fast. For now, treat him as a locked-in starter, not a matchup-dependent flex, and use his rushing production as the tiebreaker in any close lineup decision against a comparable passer with a lower carry total.
Projections, injury status and news above update automatically. This section is rewritten when his role changes. Browse every player
Jackson is dealing with a sprained ankle and has only an outside chance to play against the Falcons. This makes him a high-risk fantasy decision until his status becomes clearer.
Oct 6, 10:25 AM ET
There is only an outside chance he plays against the Falcons, and his Week 5 availability remains in doubt after the ankle injury and further evaluation.
Oct 6, 9:50 AM ET
Sources:NBC SportsUSA TODAY
Lamar Jackson is dealing with an ankle injury and his availability for Week 5 is uncertain. Fantasy managers need a backup plan immediately because he did not return after halftime and his practice status will determine whether he can play.
Oct 5, 3:55 PM ET
Jackson left Sunday's game with a left ankle injury and is now considered day-to-day pending further testing. His availability for the next game is uncertain, which could force fantasy managers to prepare a backup plan immediately.
Oct 5, 3:05 PM ET
Jackson left with an ankle injury and is considered day-to-day, with an MRI planned to determine the severity.
Oct 5, 1:35 PM ET
Source:newsweek.com
He is scheduled to undergo an MRI after leaving with an ankle issue. His status for upcoming games is now in doubt until the results come back.
Oct 5, 11:00 AM ET
Sources:CBS Sportsclutchpoints.com
He left Sunday's game with an ankle injury and is scheduled for testing, with the early expectation that he is day-to-day rather than facing a long absence.
Oct 5, 10:05 AM ET
Sources:yardbarker.comrotoballer.com