Fantasy Game Changers: Players to trust in Steelers vs. Ravens | Fantasy Football Live

Yahoo Sports’ Fantasy Football Live crew looks ahead to the Week 16 matchup between Pittsburgh and Baltimore - and how Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers and Pat Freiermuth could impact the fantasy semifinals.

Video Transcript

Let's turn to our fantasy game changers for this week, powered by Ram trucks, where we're identifying some of the most impactful players in one of the top fantasy matchups on the schedule.

The late game on Saturday is a doozy Steelers headed to Baltimore.

Take a look at the board on this one.

The Ravens favor by 6.

The over under on this 45 5.

And gentlemen, when we start talking about names to watch on here, game changers for me, it's gonna be.

Derrick Henry.

Now, a bit of a slump, obviously.

Derrick Henry coming off of a less than impactful performance against the Giants.

I think we all know that.

Everybody thought there would be massive numbers for him.

That was not the case.

Also, he goes into this game on a touchdown slump.

The question is, when you start talking about fantasy game changers, I guess I could look at this either way.

They're going to have to get more of Derrick Henry.

The question is over the last few weeks, is the decline in production points based on anything other.

Than just the way the game situation is played out.

To me, when you're looking at a Steelers defense that you know can get after the passer and you're trying to limit some of TJ Watts's effectiveness, you're going to have to run the football.

So even though a lot of the numbers are down on Derrick Henry, this to me is a prove it moment for Derrick Henry.

It's going to be a big moment for Todd Monken and that offense for the Ravens.

I think Derrick Henry breaks out.

So, when you say fantasy game changers, what do you think in this one?

Yeah, I'm looking at the Ravens passing attack and Zay Flowers here.

It's been an interesting year for Zay Flowers.

I mean, there was a time earlier this year from weeks 5 to 9 where Flowers had topped 100 yards in 4 out of 5 games.

He was well on pace to set the Ravens' wide receiver record for yards in a season, which is currently held, here's your bar trivia for the day by Michael Jackson, 1,201 yards in 1996.

Flowers right now needs 95 yards per game, so he can still do that to top that record for the Ravens, but top 75 receiving yards in 5 straight games.

He's only top 60 receiving yards twice during that time.

And honestly, like when you break it down and you look at what's happening, his roles basically stayed the same.

Maybe he's working a smidge more downfield, but it's nothing dramatic.

He's earning nearly 30% of the targets the past month.

He's running close to 100% of the route, so he's on the field, he's seeing target volume.

I think it's just this weird pocket the last month where he's not scoring as many touchdowns.

He's just missing maybe once or twice a game on a deep play that he was hitting on earlier this season.

I don't think there's much to panic with here.

Now, the matchup this week is concerning.

It is a tough matchup against the Steelers.

We saw that the last time he faced them, just two catches, 39 yards, did find the end zone, but there were a couple of explosive plays on those two catches for Flowers.

This is a spot where they're 20, 6-point home favorites projected for 26 points to the Ravens this week.

If you're the number one receiver for Lamar Jackson, projected for 26 points, one of the highest totals on the week, maybe even know Rasha Bateman, as we discussed earlier, I'm gonna have to say that you're going to have an impact on this game.

So Zay Flowers is my game changer for this week.

It's a great call.

I'm just wondering why we didn't get a he he or any reference to a moonwalk when you said Michael Jackson.

It's fine, it's fine.

Andy Barns, your fantasy game changer.

Oh man, I'm, I'm pretty sure that I had Michael Jackson on a roster in '96.

I'm just swimming in nostalgia over here.

That's a great, that's a great.

I, I am in fact an old human.

Uh, you guys, you guys picked actual stars for this segment, I guess that's one way you could go.

I'm going to go with Pat Fryer, the guy that we just talked about a few minutes ago.

This is a tight end who's still actually available in about 1/3 of Yahoo Leagues despite having reached the end zone in each of his last 3 games.

As we've discussed before, unless you landed on, you know, Brock Bowers, George Kittle, Trey.

Bride or Johnny Smith this year, you are in the tight end wilderness and you've been playing the waiver wire.

There are very few right answers, but Fryermuth has actually been one of them lately.

No George Pickens again means an uptick in targets for him.

He's in a great matchup this week against a generous pass defense.

The Ravens have allowed the 6th most receiving yards, two opposing tight ends on the season.

Friarmuth has On 16 targets over his last three games.

Some of these touchdown receptions, again, particularly the one last week, are the sorts of plays that really build trust between a quarterback and a receiver.

Any game involving Baltimore basically this year has shootout potential, and Fryermouth has become just a circle of trust receiver for Russell Wilson.

I think you can start him with confidence here as a top 10 tight end.