A jam-packed Saturday column for Week 1, new at @TheAthletic. On Caleb Williams, Lamar Jackson, the Giants, Falcons QBs, contract situations, Anthony Richardson's resilience and much much more <https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7585799/2026/09/12/chicago-bears-comebacks-lamar-jackson-contract/> [Retweeted](

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PositiveProjectionSep 12, 2026FantasyPros Articles

A healthy Lamar Jackson always has overall QB1 upside. Before his injury last season, Jackson opened the season against Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit with a minimum of 25 fantasy points in each game, finishing as a top five quarterback each time. The addition of Ja'Kobi Lane gives Jackson more depth at receiver and a new primary deep threat. Week 1 profiles as another ceiling game.

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PositiveValueSep 12, 2026NFL DFS Deep Dive

Lamar Jackson is a strong tournament play at 6,800, as the market has forgotten his efficiency due to his injury-plagued season last year. He was the clear QB2 behind Josh Allen in DraftKings points over the previous three years, and he is now in a new, high-powered offense with play-caller Todd Monken.

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NegativeMatchupSep 12, 2026Baltimore Beatdown

Lamar Jackson faces a challenging Week 1 matchup against Lou Anarumo's Colts defense; he must be on the same page with a revamped offensive line featuring new center Jovaughn Gwyn making his first start and will have his hands full with Colts defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Anarumo's ability to disguise coverages and pressure packages can attack the Ravens offense through coverage traps, similar to his Bengals schemes. Jackson will also have to navigate Declan Doyle's emphasis on quick passing and footwork timing. Given this is his first game back at 100% after last year's injuries and his first in Doyle's system, Jackson could lean on his legs early; historically, some of his most dazzling extended plays came against Anarumo's Bengals because coverage looks forced him to hold onto the ball.

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NegativeMatchupSep 12, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Lamar Jackson faces a familiar defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo, who will attempt to disguise coverages and pressure packages to attack the Ravens offense; Jackson must navigate a revamped offensive line with new center Jovaughn Gwyn making his first start while also avoiding Anarumo's coverage traps and bait-and-switch schemes that previously troubled him.

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PositiveValueSep 11, 2026NFL DFS Deep Dive

Lamar Jackson is a strong GPP play at 6% projected ownership; he has hit 4X his Week 1 salary in 22% of games since 2022 and is coming off a career-worst fantasy season that hasn't resulted in a significant salary discount.

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PositiveMatchupSep 11, 2026Reddit /r/fantasyfootball

Multiple managers stacking Lamar with Zay Flowers for Week 1 ceiling play. Community notes Lamar historically performs well in September and benefits from improved Ravens passing attack with new coaching staff.

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PositiveProjectionSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ranked #4 in 2026 preseason QB rankings. Declan Doyle projects Jackson is poised for a big bounce-back year; his relationship with John Harbaugh always seemed strained, and fresh coaching faces should help him.

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PositiveProjectionSep 11, 2026Windy City Gridiron

Ranked #4 overall; poised for big bounce-back year; relationship with John Harbaugh appeared strained, and fresh coaching faces should benefit him.

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PositiveProjectionSep 11, 2026Bolts From The Blue

The source identifies Jackson as a key factor in the Ravens' Week 10 victory over the Chargers, stating 'Jackson's legs could be what helps Baltimore ice the game in the fourth,' suggesting his dual-threat ability will be decisive in a close matchup.

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NegativeMatchupSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

The source identifies Jackson as a multi-time MVP and notes that 'Jackson's legs could be what helps Baltimore ice the game in the fourth' in Week 10, suggesting his dual-threat ability poses a significant challenge to the Chargers.

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NegativeProjectionSep 11, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

The source notes that a prospective rebound campaign from Lamar Jackson could play in Mark Andrews' favor in 2026, though the source views this as part of a speculative scenario for Andrews' resurgence.

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PositiveProjectionSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Jackson has consistently been one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL since 2019, a hall-of-famer in his prime; the Ravens' new head coach Jesse Minter will need to take a refreshed roster to the Super Bowl to satisfy public desires, with the offense still running through Jackson.

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NegativeValueSep 11, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Listed as GPP Only pick for IND vs. BAL matchup, indicating a tournament-specific play rather than a core cash-game recommendation.

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NegativeMatchupSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Lamar Jackson is described as electric; the source notes that if the Colts defense can keep him in the pocket, his effectiveness diminishes, making Jackson containment the key to Colts defensive success in Week One.

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NegativeMatchupSep 11, 2026Stampede Blue

Lamar Jackson is described as electric; the source notes that the Colts' defensive success on Sunday hinges on containing him, and that keeping him in the pocket will diminish his effectiveness.

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NegativeProjectionSep 11, 2026Fantasy Life Articles

Lamar Jackson's Week 1 projection is 19.7 PPG, up from his season average of 16.3 PPG, suggesting elevated fantasy output in the Ravens-Colts matchup.

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PositiveRoleSep 10, 2026Flock Fantasy

Healthy with new coaching staff; Ravens project to be a top-two scoring offense of the week, supporting elevated expectations for pass catchers like Zay Flowers.

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NegativeInjurySep 10, 2026Baltimore Beatdown

Lamar Jackson's injuries in 2025 had a dramatic impact on Ravens fan confidence; a 1-5 start combined with injuries to Jackson and several other key players dropped fan confidence to just 9% by Week 5. Only Jackson's return to action in Week 9 could restore faith. Later, another Jackson injury in a loss to the Patriots dropped confidence to just 2%, the lowest point of the season.

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PositiveProjectionSep 10, 2026Baltimore Beatdown

Lamar Jackson has high expectations heading into Week 1 against the Colts after a hype-filled offseason since Declan Doyle became the Ravens' new offensive playcaller; however, some level of growing pains are expected early as the Ravens incorporate three new starters on the offensive line and a new mix of pass-catchers.

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PositiveProjectionSep 10, 2026Reddit /r/fantasyfootball

One manager notes Maye was drafted ahead of Lamar in one league. One manager regrets drafting Lamar in 4th round, hated available picks at that point. Minimal substantive discussion.

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PositiveProjectionSep 10, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

Described as arguably the best dual-threat QB in the league, Jackson is looking to return to All-Pro status in his ninth season in the NFL after a down year.

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PositiveProjectionSep 9, 2026Flock Fantasy

Set up to smash in Week 1; Baltimore Ravens playing in Indianapolis dome environment as 3.5-point favorites with 48-point over/under. Lamar is fully healthy and should have rushing upside, creating a very good game environment.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

Lamar Jackson is ranked as the QB1 for Week 1 by the source.

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PositiveValueSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Lamar Jackson ranks 2nd among quarterbacks in rest-of-season trade value with a QB1 value of 237, placing him in the elite tier but notably behind Josh Allen.

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NegativeRoleSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Jackson returns as part of the Ravens' rushing attack alongside Derrick Henry; Kyle Brandt cited the Ravens' returning rushing attack as a reason to select Baltimore to win the AFC North over the Bengals.

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PositiveRoleSep 9, 2026Cincy Jungle

Ravens' rushing attack returns Lamar Jackson alongside Derrick Henry as part of the team's core offensive foundation heading into the season.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

Lamar Jackson experienced a slump in 2025 that affected end-zone production for Ravens receivers like Zay Flowers; the source notes this as a factor in Flowers' touchdown drought.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Big Blue View

Jackson's inability to win a Super Bowl or even reach one under Harbaugh raises critical questions about his performance in crunch time. Since Harbaugh's lone Super Bowl win, his Ravens teams were eliminated by teams led by Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes. Jackson went 0-for-5 against those elite quarterbacks in playoff games when it mattered most. The 2023 AFC Championship Game vs. Kansas City exemplifies the concern: the Chiefs showed a heavy front and dared the Ravens to beat them through the air, and Jackson was unable to exploit it. The underlying question is whether Jackson isn't quite as good as he often seems, at least in crunch time, or whether Harbaugh and his coaches failed to maximize his skills.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ron Jaworski examines why Harbaugh did not win a ring or reach a Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson, noting Jackson went 0 for 5 against elite quarterbacks (Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes) in crunch time playoff situations. Jaworski raises the possibility that Jackson isn't quite as good as he often seems, at least in crunch time, or that Harbaugh and his coaches did not maximize Jackson's skills. In the 2023 AFC Championship Game vs. Kansas City, the Chiefs showed a heavy front and dared the Ravens to beat them through the pass; the Ravens complied and Jackson was unable to execute, raising the question of whether it was Harbaugh's play-calling or Jackson's inability to exploit the defense.

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PositiveProjectionSep 9, 2026RotoWire NFL Articles

The source is interested in seeing if Lamar Jackson can start out hot in Week 1 against Indianapolis, noting that plagued by nagging injuries last season, the team never truly saw peak Jackson and this could be a spot where he issues a stern reminder as to why he's a two-time MVP.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Bleeding Green Nation

Lamar Jackson is well past time to deliver in the playoffs after getting so much praise for being an awesome regular season player. The source notes the Ravens are bound to get some more luck this season after going 2-5 in one-score games last year.

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Lamar Jackson needs to finally deliver in the playoffs after getting praise for regular season performance; the source notes it's well past time for Jackson to beat playoff allegations and deliver after being praised as an awesome regular season player.

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PositiveProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

The source believes 2026 could be Lamar Jackson's year, citing the Ravens' addition of Jesse Minter and Jackson's growing urgency to win before his prime years end; the source draws a parallel to the Seahawks' 2025 success and suggests the Ravens will have more edge and competitiveness than in past seasons.

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PositiveProjectionSep 9, 2026Windy City Gridiron

The source is optimistic about Lamar Jackson's 2026 season, calling it 'his year' and citing the Ravens' addition of Jesse Minter, growing urgency to win before his prime years end, and a team that feels like it will have 'edge' compared to past Ravens squads that relied on talent and division weakness.

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