Zay Flowers' Hamstring Puts the Ravens' Passing Game in Limbo

Zay Flowers turned a sidearm throw from Lamar Jackson into a 54-yard touchdown in the first half of Baltimore's opener, then spent the rest of Sunday afternoon on the sideline.

The Ravens beat the Colts 41-23 on September 13. Flowers finished with five catches for a career-high 150 yards and that touchdown before a hamstring injury ended his day. He added a 12-yard catch past cornerback Sauce Gardner in the first half, his last of the day, before the injury sent him to the sideline for good.

It was the same hamstring that cost him practice time in August, aggravated during joint sessions with Minnesota. Flowers returned to full practice on September 3 and said he felt better than ever. Ten days later, he was hurt again.

On "The Pat McAfee Show" this week, ESPN's Adam Schefter was blunt about it. "To think that he would be out there this week would probably be unrealistic," Schefter said. Flowers did not practice Wednesday, and Ravens coach Jesse Minter labeled him day-to-day, which is where his status sits three days before Baltimore hosts New Orleans in its home opener on September 20.

New Orleans is 0-1, having lost 31-30 in overtime to Detroit, and arrives at M&T Bank Stadium looking to avoid an 0-2 start of its own.

That leaves Rashod Bateman as the presumptive top target in an offense that just hung 41 points on Indianapolis. His own opener was quiet by the box score, one target and no catches, but he still ran a team-high 53 snaps at receiver. A 19-yard grab was wiped out by a holding penalty.

"It's Week 1," Bateman said. "I'm not concerned about that. My time will come, and whenever that is, I'll be ready."

Devontez Walker gives Baltimore a second option. He missed the opener with his own groin injury but said this week he expects to play Sunday. Add in rookie Ja'Kobi Lane, placed on injured reserve with a fractured wrist suffered in the same game as Flowers' hamstring, and the Ravens' receiver room looks a lot thinner than a 41-point outing suggests.

For fantasy rosters, this is a game-time decision to build around, not panic over. On snap count alone, Bateman is the safer Week 2 start no matter what Flowers does, while Walker stays a deep-league flier until his groin cooperates. If Flowers is active Sunday, his hamstring makes him a boom-or-bust flex rather than a locked-in starter, though the half he put together against the Colts is worth a bench stash if the roster spot is there.

Whether Flowers plays will not be clear until the Ravens release their inactive list Sunday, a few hours before kickoff against New Orleans.