Colston Loveland or Zay Flowers: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Start Loveland — the consensus rank and availability edges are too wide to ignore.
Colston Loveland is the higher consensus play (TE3 to WR16) and is the healthier side of this call (Flowers carries a Questionable tag). Flowers's edge is the projection, 15.2 to 11.4. The gap is comfortable.
Colston Loveland
7.49.411.4 Projected Points
Zay Flowers
10.312.715.2 Projected Points
Colston Loveland’s market
Zay Flowers’s market
Why Colston Loveland
StartTE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Seam-stretching move tight end with flex alignment and rising target volume.
Start — every-week TE start at consensus TE3: 24.5 implied team total, 8% target share.
- MIN ranks 14 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 1-game sample).
- Vegas implies 24.5 team points as 3.5-point favorites.
- Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 87% snap share.
Latest on Loveland
When even the "little guys" are getting a hat on a hat, it's that much easier to post 59 points and over 500 yards.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Zay Flowers
StartWR1 and primary target. Twitchy separator with YAC ability, alignment versatility and jet-sweep usage.
Start — every-week WR start at consensus WR16: NO is the 9th-softest matchup vs WRs, 27.0 implied team total.
- Carries a Questionable tag — usually plays, but monitor the final report.
- NO ranks 24 of 32 against WRs (one of the softer matchups, 1-game sample).
- Vegas implies 27.0 team points as 7.5-point favorites.
- Listed WR on the latest depth chart with a 29% snap share.
Latest on Flowers
Zay Flowers returned to practice Friday with a chance to suit up Sunday.
Zay Flowers, Four Ravens Starters Return to Practicebaltimoreravens.com · Sep 18, 2026Doyle placed Flowers out wide on just 36.4% of his Week 1 snaps compared to his career rate of 67.7%, with only 17 of his 150 yards coming from a wide alignment, indicating a scheme-driven shift in how he is deployed under the new offense.
CBS Sports · Sep 17, 2026Flowers was again a non-participant at Thursday's practice with his hamstring injury, marking his second straight missed practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Saints, leaving his Week 2 availability uncertain heading into Friday's final practice.
BaltimoreRavens.com · Sep 17, 2026Several Ravens were not spotted at the start of Wednesday’s practice.
Ravens receiver Zay Flowers is considered day-to-day while receiver Ja'Kobi Lane could be out for a longer period with a wrist injury, coach Jesse Minter said.
Revamped offensive line set the tone in the run game. Minter sees room to grow for the defense. Trey Hendrickson's impact was immediately felt.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Colston Loveland | Zay Flowers |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 7.49.411.4 | 10.312.715.2 |
| Consensus rank | TE3 | WR16 |
| Opponent vs position | MIN · 14 of 321-game sample | NO · 24 of 321-game sample |
| Receptions | 14 of 32 | 27 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 31 of 32 | 10 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 1 of 32 | 25 of 32 |
| Targets | 24 of 32 | 31 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 1 of 32 | 25 of 32 |
| Target share | 8% | 25% |
| Reception share | 0% | 29% |
| Implied total · spread | 24.5-3.5 | 27.0-7.5 |
| Depth chart | TE1 | WR1 |
| Snap share | 87% | 29% |
| Injury designation | — | Questionable |
Recent form
Colston Loveland — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs CAR | 0.00.00.0 |
Zay Flowers — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs IND | 21.023.526.0 |
Signal breakdown
- 11.4 vs 15.2 projected PPR pointsZay Flowers +
- Rank 3 vs 16Colston Loveland +
- Opponent DvP rank 14 vs 24 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 24.5 vs 27.0 team pointsZay Flowers +
- no designation vs QuestionableColston Loveland +
- 87% vs 29% snap shareColston Loveland +
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