Zay Flowers was drafted by the Ravens with the No. 22 pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Flowers was the third consecutive receiver off the board with Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to Seattle at No. 20 and Quentin Johnston going to the Chargers at No. 21. Given the value Baltimore placed on the former Boston College playmaker, fantasy football players should expect Flowers to contribute early in his rookie season.
What Flowers lacks in size (5’9”, 182 pounds) he makes up for in athleticism. The fleet-footed receiver lined up as a rusher (freshman season), wide receiver and punt returner during his time at Boston College and ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL combine. He’s one of this draft class’ more polished route runners and showed toughness in college by playing bigger than his size. He’s electric with the ball in his hands and should be fun to watch in the NFL as part of the Ravens offense. Flowers will shine if the Ravens can get creative with his usage.
As it relates to drafting Flowers in fantasy football, managers need to account for the other receiving options on his new team. By no means is Flowers a big-bodied threat in the end zone. But given his ability in the open field and ball skills, he doesn’t necessarily have to be in order to produce consistent fantasy points. Will he be an instant Top 15 receiver like Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson during their rookie seasons? Not very likely. But he can be serviceable at times just as Jahan Dotson was in 2022, when he averaged 10 points per week in PPR formats and finished the year as WR52 despite missing a handful of games due to injury.
Zay Flowers Fantasy Football Ranking and Analysis
Fantasy Football Dynasty Ranking: Wide Receiver No. 3
Fantasy Football Redraft Ranking: Wide Receiver: 47
The same day the Ravens signed quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year extension, Baltimore adds a new receiver to his arsenal. Flowers should compete early on for a spot in the starting rotation alongside Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Mark Andrews.
But the major question for Flowers now that he’s in Baltimore is whether they’ll be enough targets to go around in 2023. From a dynasty perspective, Flowers will have one of the league’s best quarterbacks under center and Beckham Jr. is only on a one-year contract, so Flowers could see more volume starting in 2024.
Zay Flowers Pro Comparison and College Stats
The shifty Flowers had a strong finish to his college career. He caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns, which tied for fifth in FBS. His ability to make defenders miss and accelerate up the field made him a productive mismatch on the collegiate level but some scouts suggest he’ll mainly line up in the slot in the NFL.
His athleticism scores rate him similar to Marquise Brown and Mecole Hardman but his size will naturally draw more people to compare him to Wan’Dale Robinson. He’s more in line with Kadarius Toney or Emmanuel Sanders; fast, quick-twitch type of receiver, especially with the ball in his hands.
