Redskins at Falcons
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, 8/22, 7:30 pm
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Betting Odds: WAS -3 via Oddsshark
Network: NBC Sports Washington
Atlanta Falcons
Offensive Line Looking Shaky
Last week was a small sample size of the starting offense but the results were troubling. Matt Ryan was sacked three times and pressured heavily during his four series of action. With the first-round pick, Kaleb McGary hurt, the Falcons are doing their best to find the combination of players that work. For the most part, it seems three of those four guys are set in stone. Veterans Alex Mack and Jake Matthews will man the center and left tackle spots. First-round pick Chris Lindstrom is a good bet to win one of the starting guard spots and Ty Sambrailo should be the favorite to start at right tackle, given his experience with the team and starting offense. Offseason additions James Carpenter and Jamon Brown will battle for the last starting spot along the line. Carpenter has been battling injuries but is certainly still in play to start on opening day. The Falcons made it a priority to bolster the offensive line this offseason and it would be nice to see those efforts bear fruit in the next game. Let’s hope that Matt Ryan isn’t running for his life the entire season because if the line can keep him upright, he could be looking at another top-five season.
Freeman to See More Run
It has been a pretty quiet preseason for Devonta Freeman but Dan Quinn said he would get extended looks this week. Freeman has battled injuries and has not played in all 16 games since 2016. In this offense, without Tevin Coleman, Freeman’s ceiling is limitless. However, he must show that he can remain healthy. Many forget how lethal Freeman has been in fantasy during his pro career. It would be nice to get a glimpse of that in Thursday’s action.
Washington Redskins
Will Guice Be on Ice?
It was reported earlier this week that the Redskins plan to play Derrius Guice. Whether that comes to fruition, is yet to be seen. He is battling back from a torn ACL from last season and a tweaked hamstring during this year’s preseason. It would be shocking to see Guice out on the field but certainly welcomed. Guice was a preseason fantasy hype machine coming into last season and has now seemingly disappeared from the mainstream radar. If he is truly healthy, he could be an incredible value at his current sixth-round ADP. Expect Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson to carry the workload until further notice.
Dwayne Haskins Waits for His Turn
Haskins impressed last week with 114 yards passing and one passing touchdown. For now, he is behind Case Keenum on the depth chart. The Redskins would do well to give Haskins extended time to run with the ones and see what he looks like leading the first-team offense. At this point in his career, we know what Keenum is and it will be tough to keep Haskins off the field if, at any point, Keenum struggles. Haskins was arguably the best quarterback to come from this year’s draft class but surprisingly fell on draft day. He is out there to prove the doubters wrong and will play like it.
-Aaron Rader (@Ray_Dur)