Bengals vs. Falcons
Bengals
Can Andy Dalton take advantage of a poor Falcons secondary?
Through the first three weeks of this season, the Falcons’ secondary has looked rough. They’ve given up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, including three touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3. They’ve also suffered some injuries, making the secondary noticeably worse, so the question is, can Andy Dalton take advantage? I’ve said before that Dalton is probably the best worst quarterback I’ve ever seen, but the thing is, when he’s on, he’s really on, and I could see this game becoming a bit of a shootout. So far, Dalton has been pretty solid, delivering 352 yards last week and four touchdowns in Week 2. That being said, he also had four interceptions last week, so anything is possible with Dalton. Still, I’ve got Dalton as a low-end QB1 this week, I think you can trust him to take advantage of this Falcons’ secondary.
Will A.J. Green play?
A.J. Green suffered a groin injury last week but was a full participant in practice on Thursday and looks poised to play this weekend. So yes, expect him to play, and expect him to have a big game. He’s likely to see Desmond Trufant in coverage for the most part this week, and that poses a noticeable advantage to Green, as Trufant has been relatively mediocre in coverage so far this year.
What kind of value will Tyler Boyd have?
Tyler Boyd was a very popular waiver wire add both last week and this week, but especially this week after the monster game he had, catching six balls for 132 yards and a touchdown. After getting 12 catches in the past two games, it’s pretty clear that Boyd is a significant part of this offense, and given that he’ll likely see a pretty mediocre corner in Brian Poole, I could see Boyd have some flex appeal this week.
What about John Ross?
Honestly, I don’t think John Ross is ownable in a non-dynasty league right now. I get it, the guy has athletic talent, but he’s not been that good so far this year, and he’s the number three option in this offense.
What can we expect from the running game?
Joe Mixon isn’t going to play this week, as expected, which means we get another week of Giovani Bernard. I like Bernard a lot as a runner, and lucky for him, the Falcons have been just about the worst run defense in football, giving up over 30 fantasy points in each game so far this year. I’m expecting Bernard to have himself a solid game and should be a low-end RB1 this week.
Is Tyler Eifert worth starting?
It’s always a risk putting Tyler Eifert out there, but he’s been healthy so far and was pretty effective last week, catching six balls for 74 yards. I could see him having a decent game and maybe even catching his first touchdown of the season.
-Ben Palmer
Falcons
Do you expect QB Matt Ryan to keep it rolling at home?
QB Matt Ryan has been on fire the last two weeks. OC Steve Sarkisian has made a conscious effort to spread the ball around. It is benefitting the offense and the play of Ryan. The defense is banged up at the moment, and this will force Ryan to air it out early and often to secure a win at home. Look for Ryan to carry the momentum from his five touchdown performance into this week.
WR Calvin Ridley is making a strong case for rookie of the year. Do you foresee him having another big game?
It would be very hard to top the performance he had last week. Calvin Ridley is a special talent, and has already made a huge impact on this team. I would expect the Bengals, who have a solid defense, to make an effort to bottle him up. However, do not forget about WR Julio Jones. Something tells me he is the one that will come up big this week. For now, Ridley is a locked and loaded WR3/flex and borderline WR2 until further notice.
What is the latest status on Devonta Freeman? Does he have a chance to suit up?
RB Devonta Freeman was limited in practice Thursday, but did not do much. He is looking fairly questionable, but still has a shot. The Falcons could certainly use him, after the ground game was nothing short of anemic against the Saints. Look for reports after Friday’s practice to get a clearer indication.
With devastating injuries to the defense, do you think the Falcons can contain the Bengals and win?
The Falcons have lost both starting safeties for the year and their best linebacker. Those three guys are imperative to the signal calling of this defense. The Falcons could not stop anything the Saints threw at them last week, and I think this will be the case with the Bengals. QB Andy Dalton should have a huge day, especially with RB Joe Mixon banged up. If the Falcons want to win, they must score in bunches and whenever they get the opportunity.
-Aaron Rader
Start Golloday or Tate this week? Cowboys are awesome against the slot, but Sean Lee is out and Tate is safer……