Will Anquan Boldin produce solid fantasy numbers in the Ravens' offense?
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Now that the Ravens have (fill in the blank), they finally have a big-play wide receiver to complement their strong running game and intimidating defense.
In recent years, that blank has been filled in by draft picks such as Travis Taylor, Mark Clayton, and Yamon Figurs; free-agent signees such as Derrick Mason and Marcus Robinson; and trade acquisitions such as Kevin Johnson. Forgettable (with the occasional exception of Mason) fantasy players all.
But now that the Ravens have Boldin, they finally have a big-play wide receiver ... no really, we mean it.
Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowl pass catcher, arrives after an offseason trade brought him over from the Cardinals. In seven years in Arizona, he averaged 84 catches for 1,074 yards and six touchdowns, even though those numbers were skewed downward by injury-interrupted seasons. His 6.2 catches per game played and two 100-catch seasons made him especially valuable in PPR leagues.
Boldin does his best work in the middle of the field, which is where the Ravens figure to use him after also signing Donté Stallworth in the offseason. Though it's uncertain how much of an impact Stallworth can make after a year out of football, defenses will have to account for his speed on the outside of the field. Mason becomes a No. 2 wideout, a role to which his numbers are more suited.
The only real question mark is how quickly Boldin can get on the same page as quarterback Joe Flacco. But even that's another plus in Boldin's favor.
While those other fill-in-the-blank wideouts mostly had the likes of Trent Dilfer, Jeff Blake and Kyle Boller throwing then the ball, Boldin has Flacco, who passed for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns in just his second NFL season. And now Flacco has been working with new Ravens assistant Jim Zorn in the offseason. His forgettable stint as the Redskins' head coach aside, Zorn has a reputation as one of the best quarterback coaches in the game.
In all, there are too many positives in Baltimore to expect Boldin's production to fall.
Bottom line: Boldin's presence will help the entire Ravens' offense, and his numbers will be a boon to your fantasy team.
