RELATED: See all of our 2026 Player Spotlights here
Zay Flowers was the fantasy WR7 last season while playing on a team with the fourth-fewest offensive snaps and lowest pass-play rate in the league. He had 86 receptions for 1,211 receiving yards, placing eighth and sixth in the league, respectively, despite being 31st in routes run (464) and 18th in targets (118). Flowers averaged 0.53 PPR fantasy points per route run, placing fourth among receivers and tight ends with at least 400 routes, behind Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Yet few fantasy managers would consider Flowers to be performing at the same level as those superstar wide receivers. He's being drafted so far this year as a high-end fantasy WR2, but his ongoing role and past performance suggest he's a bargain at that price. The Ravens are getting a bargain as well. Flowers is entering the fourth year of a rookie contract that will pay him around $2.5 million for 2026. In April, the team exercised its fifth-year option, which will pay him around $27 million in 2027, a hefty raise but still below market value relative to other receivers' recent extensions.
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While I expect Baltimore will continue to build its identity around the run game, new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle wants to feature explosive plays. Four of Flowers's 14 career touchdown receptions have gone for 50 yards or more. He is one of just nine players with at least four such touchdown receptions since 2023, according to Stathead.
Doyle helped design the Bears' offense under Ben Johnson, though Doyle did not call the plays there. Notably, that offense was in the top quarter of the league in yards after the catch (YAC) per reception. A similar passing scheme suits Flowers's skill set.
Zay Flowers Boasts Elite Efficiency
Zay Flowers is one of the most consistently efficient wide receivers in the league. He averaged 2.61 yards per route run in 2025, ranking fourth among the 53 wide receivers and tight ends who ran at least 400 routes, trailing only Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. His 2.35 yards per route run in 2024 ranked eighth that season. He also finished among the league leaders in yards per target over expected last season.
Receiving Metrics and Ranks Among WRs/TEs with at Least 400 Routes Run, 2023-25
| Metric | 2023 | Rank | 2024 | Rank | 2025 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards/Rte | 1.70 | 32nd | 2.35 | 8th | 2.61 | 4th |
| YAC/Rec | 5.03 | 21st | 6.09 | 6th | 5.42 | 7th |
| MTF/Rec | 0.29 | 1st | 0.28 | 1st | 0.23 | 4th |
| FP/Rte | 0.41 | 27th | 0.47 | 15th | 0.53 | 4th |
| Yds/Tgt Over Exp. | 0.40 | 24th | 0.90 | 14th | 2.20 | 6th |
Flowers has averaged 5.5 YAC per reception over his three seasons. His average YAC per reception was lower last season than in 2024, largely because he caught passes from Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush for several weeks. Flowers had nearly the same YAC per reception for the 13 games Lamar Jackson played in 2025 as he did in 2024. Flowers's post-catch yardage fell when the backups were in the game, dropping to 4.67 yards per reception with Cooper Rush and 2.65 with Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
Flowers has been a consistent separator since entering the league. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he averaged 3.7 yards of separation in 2023, 3.9 in 2024, and 3.6 in 2025, ranking sixth, fourth, and fifth among wide receivers with at least 50 receptions in that season. He also excels at shedding tacklers. Since 2023, Flowers has averaged a broken tackle every 9.1 receptions, ranking third among wide receivers behind Deebo Samuel Sr. and A.J. Brown.
Top 10 PPR Wide Receivers, 2025
| Player | PPR Rank | Tgts | Recs | Yds | RecTDs | Yds/Rec | YAC/Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puka Nacua | WR1 | 166 | 129 | 1715 | 10 | 13.3 | 5.2 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR2 | 163 | 119 | 1793 | 10 | 15.1 | 4.4 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR3 | 172 | 117 | 1401 | 11 | 12.0 | 4.9 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR4 | 185 | 125 | 1412 | 8 | 11.3 | 5.1 |
| George Pickens | WR5 | 137 | 93 | 1429 | 9 | 15.4 | 5.2 |
| Chris Olave | WR6 | 156 | 100 | 1163 | 9 | 11.6 | 2.9 |
| Zay Flowers | WR7 | 118 | 86 | 1211 | 5 | 14.1 | 5.3 |
| Nico Collins | WR8 | 120 | 71 | 1117 | 6 | 15.7 | 4.6 |
| Davante Adams | WR9 | 114 | 60 | 789 | 14 | 13.2 | 2.0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR10 | 126 | 78 | 1006 | 7 | 12.9 | 3.5 |
His efficiency has made up for a relative lack of volume. Among the top 10 PPR finishers, Flowers ranked ninth in targets (118). That volume gap is one reason he's priced as a WR2, but his role in the offense is more secure than his target rank suggests, offering distinct potential for increased volume.