Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or Zay Flowers

Saturday, October 17, 3:35 AM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (toe) surprised some managers this week with a different injury designation than the hamstring and foot injuries he carried between Weeks 2 and 5. Still, he lacks a questionable tag as the team heads to Cleveland to face the Browns in Week 6. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley will start again this weekend while Lamar Jackson (ankle) continues to heal, but Flowers' usage between quarterbacks was largely similar. In Week 5, Flowers caught eight of his nine targets for 53 yards and sustained a 28% target share, 27% air yards share, and 97% route participation, all consistent with his 2025 and 2026 season averages. The only troubling metric was Flowers' sharp decline in air yards per target (4.4), nearly half his normal amount. Huntley was pressured on 37.8% of his dropbacks and took three sacks against the Falcons, and the Ravens face another aggressive front in Week 6. The Browns' pass rush, which has the NFL's fifth-highest quarterback pressure rate (41.3%) and sack rate (8.2%), could give Huntley less time to throw, which may lead to shorter targets again for Flowers. However, Flowers' 196 yards after catch, the sixth-highest for qualified receivers, should instill optimism that the team's top pass-catcher can overcome this drawback. Despite the potential for a low-scoring AFC North slog and a backup quarterback, Flowers is a must-start WR1 in every fantasy format in Week 6.