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The Baltimore Ravens will square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 9, presenting a matchup with plenty of storylines for fantasy football. Baltimore is dealing with multiple long-term injuries, with Lamar Jackson on IR and Tyler Huntley ruled out for the season, presenting an unlikely option at quarterback for Week 9.
The Jaguars are coming off a dominant 42-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, but are dealing with several injuries that could force rookie contributors into action.
These four rookies could have solid fantasy upside for Week 9 lineups during the Ravens-Jaguars matchup on Thursday Night Football:
Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano is the headlining development heading into Thursday Night Football. Jackson is on IR with a thumb injury, and Huntley will miss the remainder of the season due to turf toe. Baltimore brought in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to lead the team for the upcoming stretch without Jackson, but he's not set to debut until Week 10.
Baltimore's offense will lean on Fagnano to command the unit, coming off a lackluster performance in his NFL debut. He was sacked three times, fumbled and threw an interception, completing just 10 of his 21 pass attempts for 91 yards.
He'll get the nod against Jacksonville, looking to take advantage of matchup against the No. 29-ranked pass defense in football. Zay Flowers should see plenty of targets, and Derrick Henry will command significant volume as Baltimore looks to open up the pass with an established rushing attack.
Ravens rookie wideout Ja'Kobi Lane, the team's WR3 behind Flowers and Rashod Bateman, was limited to just one catch for 13 yards against Buffalo. He's hauled in eight catches for 83 receiving yards through the team's first eight games, struggling to carve out a consistent role on a week-to-week basis.
Bateman and Flowers will deal with tough matchups against Jacksonville's top corners, which could free up Lane for crucial targets during Thursday's game. I don't suspect he'll crack the top-10 in fantasy this week, but with five-plus targets, he could generate valuable production for Week 9 lineups against the Jagaurs' inconsistent secondary.
Jaguars rookie wide receiver Josh Cameron has mustered some solid performances during his first season, eclipsing the 40-yard mark in back-to-back weeks against Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Cameron was held catchless through the last two games, but presents some upside as Jacksonville's WR4 against the 21st-ranked pass defense in football.
If he can generate four or more targets, there could be room to carve out solid production in fantasy. Cameron also offers upside as a returner, generating 263 yards over 10 punt returns so far this season.
Despite seeing just nine targets through his first seven games, rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher has carved out solid production to this point of the season. He's hauled in seven catches and has notched 83 yards, scoring two touchdowns through the air. With this touchdown consideration in mind, he'll present a cheap option for DFS salary lineups with high upside against Baltimore.