Game Info

Kickoff: November 22, 2020, 1:00 PM ET

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Betting Odds: NO -5, 50.5 total via Oddsshark

Network: Fox

Atlanta Falcons

Quarterback

Matt Ryan (Start, QB1)

Ryan was in the zone last time we saw him in action. His deep ball may have been the best it’s been all season long. Now with a week of rest, he and the Falcons’ offense are facing a Saints team that is middle of the pack against quarterbacks. This rivalry is always a wild one and could turn into a shootout. Start Ryan with confidence this week as the Falcons are beginning to find their stride.

Running Backs

Todd Gurley II (Start, RB2), Brian Hill (Sit)

The Saints are one of the best teams against running backs this season but Todd Gurley has been one of the most efficient running backs in the scoring department. There is a chance he gets used more in the passing game this week too. I do not expect his ceiling to be very high in this game but he should certainly have chances to punch one in.

Wide Receivers/Tight End

Julio Jones (Start, WR1), Calvin Ridley (Start, WR2), Russell Gage (Sit), Olamide Zaccheaus (Sit), Hayden Hurst (Start, TE1)

Julio Jones is starting for your fantasy team, without question. Ridley practiced on a limited basis this week but it seems he will be active, barring any setback. It remains to be seen if he will have his full workload or not but monitor the situation throughout the week. Zaccheaus was a deep-ball specialist in the Falcons’ last game but was also seeing more time due to injury at WR. If Ridley is back healthy, then it will be interesting to see if the Falcons find ways to still utilize “OZ”. In the Falcons’ last outing, Hurst saw a 23 percent target share and has four straight games with at least five catches and 50 yards.

New Orleans Saints

Quarterback

Jameis Winston (Start, QB1), Taysom Hill (Start, if TE eligible)

ESPN leagues have made Hill eligible to play TE and FanDuel has done the same. Yahoo has not made this distinction yet but there is a chance he starts for the Saints at quarterback. It is more likely though that Jameis will be the starter come Sunday, as he came in for the injured Drew Brees last week. I am sure if Winston is named the starter, he will have plenty of turnovers but could also put up a decent stat line against a Falcons team who has given up the most points to quarterbacks on the season.

Running Backs

Alvin Kamara (Start, RB1),  Latavious Murray (Sit)

Kamara has been one of the best players in fantasy and although the Falcons have been better against running backs recently, I expect Kamara will have a big day. It is possible with Brees hurt, the Saints lean on the run game even more. I would not trust Murray to get much work but if you are desperate, he is worth a shot.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Michael Thomas (Start, WR1), Tre’Quan Smith (Sit), Marquez Callaway (Sit), Emmanuel Sanders (Sit), Jared Cook (Start, TE2)

It has been a weird year for Thomas but this could be the chance to get on track. The Falcons are in the bottom three against the WR position and this is an excellent spot for MT to have a big game. Smith took a nasty hit last week and is questionable to play. I want to suggest Sanders and Cook as plays this week but they have done so poorly that it is hard to trust them.

-Aaron Rader (Ray_Dur on Twitter and Reddit)