Lamar Jackson and Quinshon Judkins Miss Practice Again: What Friday's Designations Mean for Ravens at Browns

Lamar Jackson did not practice Thursday, his second straight absence of the week, and the Baltimore Ravens head into Friday's final injury report with their quarterback's status for Sunday's game in Cleveland still unresolved. The Browns have a matching problem in their backfield: Quinshon Judkins also sat out again Thursday with his right ankle. Both designations are due Friday afternoon. As of this writing they have not been reported, so what follows separates what is confirmed from what is still pending.

The Ravens' report also got worse in other spots on Thursday. Zay Flowers was added with a toe injury and was limited, and Rashod Bateman went from limited on Wednesday to not practicing. For a game that matters for AFC North positioning, between a 4-1 Baltimore team and a 3-2 Cleveland team, the Friday report decides a lot for fantasy lineups and for the betting market.

Jackson: day-to-day, no practice, still in play

Jackson sprained his left ankle against Tennessee on Oct. 4 and missed Week 5, when Tyler Huntley led Baltimore to a 30-23 overtime win in Atlanta. Head coach Jesse Minter has called Jackson day-to-day all week. According to the reporting, he has also said Jackson could start even without practicing. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, citing a league source, that Jackson has a realistic chance to play Sunday.

That is the full set of confirmed facts. What has not been confirmed is the designation itself. If Jackson misses a third practice on Friday and is listed as questionable, the decision will likely run into the weekend. A questionable tag paired with no practice all week tells managers less than a questionable tag after a limited session would. A doubtful or out tag would make Huntley the starter for a second straight week.

Fantasy fallout for the Ravens

Jackson managers face the hardest call of the week. If he is active, he is a start in every format, because his rushing floor drives his weekly value even when the passing game is ordinary. The risk is a late scratch, or a cautious game plan that limits designed runs on a sprained ankle. That second scenario is the more likely downside if he plays. Managers who can carry a backup with a later kickoff, or who have a reliable second quarterback, should keep that option ready until the inactive list comes out.

Huntley is the pivot in superflex and two-quarterback leagues. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta and added a rushing touchdown on six carries, the kind of rushing production that keeps a backup quarterback relevant. If Jackson is ruled out, Huntley is a reasonable two-quarterback start against a Browns defense that is dealing with its own injuries on the interior line.

The receiver picture is new. Flowers being added to the report with a toe injury is something to watch rather than a reason to bench him, since he was limited and not held out. Bateman's drop to a full absence is more worrying for his availability. If Bateman is ruled out and Flowers plays, Flowers' target share should rise no matter who is at quarterback. Tight end usage would also likely increase with Huntley under center, since his Week 5 line (201 yards on 24 completions) points to a short, quick passing attack.

Fantasy fallout for the Browns

Judkins' second straight missed practice is the most important Cleveland item. Todd Monken described the injury earlier in the week as a sprain and called him day-to-day, and he has not been ruled out. Still, this is the same right ankle he injured last season, which raises the concern level. Dylan Sampson has been designated to return from injured reserve, and Monken has said he could play in Week 6, but his activation was not confirmed as of Thursday.

If Judkins is ruled out and Sampson is not activated, the backfield goes to Jaleel McLaughlin and Raheim Sanders. Sanders left the loss to the Jets with a hip injury. None of those backs has a workload that can be projected with confidence, and Cleveland's ground game was poor in that 17-12 defeat. Deshaun Watson ran for 40 of the team's 96 rushing yards in that game. A committee behind a struggling offensive line is a matchup to avoid in fantasy, so managers should only use these backs in the deepest formats, and only once Friday's report clarifies the depth chart.

If Judkins is listed as questionable after a limited Friday session, he goes back to being a flex play with a capped ceiling. If he draws a doubtful tag or is ruled out, Sampson's activation becomes the most important roster move to watch on Saturday.

The betting picture

This game's line has followed Jackson's status all week. CBS Sports' early odds opened Baltimore at -3.5 with a total of 40.5. After the Schefter report, DraftKings moved the Ravens to -5.5, a one-point move from Tuesday morning, and the total rose. After Jackson missed Wednesday's practice, Fanatics Sportsbook dropped its number from -5.5 to -5. In the reported comments, DraftKings oddsmaker Johnny Avello said the line implied roughly a 60/40 chance that Jackson plays.

That means the current number is pricing in a probable but uncertain Jackson. A Friday out designation would move the line back toward the opener. A questionable tag with practice participation would push it the other way. Bettors of legal betting age in their jurisdiction who want Baltimore are taking on Jackson risk at the current price, while bettors who like Cleveland may want to wait, because a Jackson-out announcement would likely cost them line value. The over has also gone 5-0 in the last five meetings between these teams, per the betting coverage, but a Huntley start and a Browns backfield without Judkins both argue for caution on totals until the statuses are clear.

Verdexed's full model card for every game lives at /nfl/predictions, and the weekly overview is at /blog/nfl-week-6-picks-2026.

What's next

The Friday report is the key checkpoint, and four tags matter most: Jackson's designation and whether he practiced, Judkins' designation, Bateman's status after his Thursday absence, and whether Flowers sheds the toe concern. After that, watch for Sampson's activation from injured reserve, which would have to happen before kickoff, and for Sunday's inactive lists.

For fantasy managers, the plan is simple. Keep Jackson in lineups only if he carries a questionable tag or better and you have a late-window fallback. Prepare Huntley as the superflex pivot. Treat the Browns backfield as unusable until Judkins' status is confirmed.