Baltimore Ravens - Fantasy News

Who to Start: Jeremy Maclin or Martavis Bryant?

by Mike Rose

12/8/17

NFL

Baltimore Ravens

Jeremy Maclin

A huge AFC North matchup is set to take place at Heinz Field on Sunday Night Football when the Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Baltimore Ravens into town for the first time since these two hated rivals hooked up back in Week 4.

Wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and Martavis Bryant didn’t factor much into that game as they combined for just six catches and 69 yards. There is a good chance that both of these wideouts end up posting pedestrian numbers once again in the second meeting of the year.

Fantasy Matchup: Jeremy Maclin (8.5 PFP) vs. Martavis Bryant (8.0 PFP)

Maclin has averaged 7.51 Dober Fantasy Points per game, which is a higher mark than Bryant to date, and enters this matchup as a half-point favorite. That’s a bit of a surprise considering the former Philadelphia Eagle and Kansas City Chief has had a very ineffective and inefficient season thus far. He hasn’t reached the end zone since Week 8 and caught just four of eight targets last Sunday. He also doesn’t have a real solid supporting cast around him, which is why Joe Flacco probably has some trust issues with his surrounding playmakers.

For the season, Maclin has caught 36 passes on 60 targets for 391 yards and three touchdowns. Only one of those scores came on the road. His best output of the season was back in Week 9 when he gained 98 yards, so he’s failed to reach the 100-yard mark so far. The last time Maclin faced the Steelers he accrued just 21 yards on three catches.

Working in Maclin’s favor, though, is the fact Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t looked that dominant since Week 6. The Steelers have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers during that stretch. The No. 52 wideout in fantasy hasn’t done much for the No. 31 ranked passing attack in the NFL, which has averaged just 173 yards through the air per game. But Maclin could have himself a day with the recent trend of the Steelers giving up a lot of yards to opposing receivers.

Meanwhile, Bryant has been all but a footnote in the Steelers offense with the explosion of Antonio Brown in recent weeks. The No. 59 receiver in fantasy has scored only twice this year. His second touchdown actually came in Week 12, but he failed to reach the end zone again last week. He was on the field for just 40 of Pittsburgh’s 66 offensive snaps and has been nothing more than a vertical specialist, making him at best a very sketchy option in the passing attack. He only hauled in three passes for 48 yards in his last meeting against the Ravens defense.

On the year, Bryant has recorded 31 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores have been reeled in at Heinz Field, so that’s a plus this week. Nonetheless, both Bryant and Maclin have had down years. The last time these two teams locked horns, less than 40 points combined hit the scoreboard.

I expect more of the same this time around. Go with Bryant on your Dober Play Card as Maclin has been inconsistent, and I don’t trust him on the road in the harsh environment known as Heinz Field.

Week 14 Fantasy Projection: Martavis Bryant (+.5) vs. Jeremy Maclin