New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons
This was a closer game than the score indicated for much of the game, and while the Falcons made the score more respectable late thanks to a late touchdown and an onside kick they really hurt themselves in this game with self-inflicted mistakes. Falcons’ kicker Younghoe Koo missed an extra point and a field goal in the first half, the Saints deflected a punt on the first Atlanta drive of the game, and still, it was only a 17-9 game going into halftime in favor of the Saints. The second half was a different story, as after the Saints extended their lead with a field goal the Falcons turned the ball over on three straight drives, and while they held the Saints to only two field goals off of those turnovers the damage was mostly done. Atlanta rallied late, scoring a touchdown with three minutes left in the game but also failing to convert the two-point attempt when Calvin Ridley fumbled the ball stretching for the end zone, and Koo redeemed himself by pulling off two successful onside kicks. The Falcons turned the first onside recovery into a field goal and were driving late with a chance to tie the game. Unfortunately for Atlanta, the offensive line struggles that slowed them down all game was amplified on the last drive as Ryan was sacked four times, with one sack being negated by a penalty, including on fourth down to seal the game for the Saints. The Falcons offense did a decent job of moving the ball, as evidenced by their 35:37 to 24:33 edge in time of possession, but were unable to overcome those mistakes and ultimately lost to New Orleans 26-18.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterbacks
- Drew Brees: 18/30, 184 yards, 1 TD
- Taysom Hill: 0/1 | 2 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards, 1 TD
Drew Brees had a quiet fantasy day in a game his team led almost from start to finish. He was efficient and did not really make any mistakes, but the lack of downfield shots and the touches he lost to Taysom Hill really limited his production. Hill was spectacular tonight, blocking a punt, scoring a touchdown off a tap pass, and then running for another score when he took a snap at quarterback. There seemed to be more of an emphasis on getting him involved than there had been in previous weeks, which is more of a concern for other Saints players than it is something that makes Hill fantasy relevant. Brees does not seem to throw the ball enough to warrant starting in single-quarterback leagues but is a viable streamer in games that project to be competitive.
Running Backs
- Alvin Kamara: 11 carries, 61 yards | 8 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards
- Latavius Murray: 4 carries, 2 yards
If you only saw Latavius Murray’s touches from this game you’d be forgiven for assuming that Alvin Kamara saw a huge workload, but neither running back really got going in this one. Kamara looked good when he touches the ball, aside from a drop, but the Saints played conservatively for most of the second half and were mostly content to settle for punts and field goals. He still tied for the team-lead in targets with eight and out-carried Murray 11-4, so there’s no reason to worry about Kamara going forward. Murray was barely involved, but as the Saints only ran the ball 17 times it’s more likely that there just weren’t enough carries to go around for him. He remains one of the most valuable backup running backs in the NFL and a viable flex play depending on the matchup.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Michael Thomas: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 48 yards
- Tre’Quan Smith: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
- Ted Ginn: 1 target, 0 receptions
- Jared Cook: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 85 yards
This was pretty easily Michael Thomas’s worst fantasy game of the season, as he failed to reach 100 yards or score a touchdown in a game for just the third time this year. Thomas had a drop in this game, but aside from that his low production was just a result of the flow of the game so there’s no reason for concern about his future production. Jared Cook had a bad drop in the end zone, as well as another ball that went off his fingertips that would have gone for a long reception, but he was the clear third option behind Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Cook’s inconsistency will always be frustrating but he’s worth starting for fantasy teams without an elite tight end option. Ted Ginn and Tre’Quan Smith were non-factors in this game and are safe to drop in redraft leagues.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
- Matt Ryan: 35/50, 312 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs | 3 carries, 21 yards
Matt Ryan had a strong fantasy performance but a tough day out on the field. Without two of his top options in Julio Jones and Austin Hooper, and playing behind an offensive line that gave up nine sacks, Ryan turned the ball over three times on three consecutive drives. He threw an interception to a defensive lineman while trying to get the ball out of his hand before the pressure got to him, threw a second interception on a play where it looked like he never saw the defensive back that intercepted him, and fumbled due to a big hit after scrambling to convert a third down. All things considered, Ryan did a good job of moving the Falcons up and down the field, but the team was unable to score after several drives into Saints territory and that is ultimately what cost them the game. Ryan is one of the most consistent fantasy quarterbacks in the league and should continue to be started with confidence despite the struggles of his supporting cast.
Running Backs
- Devonta Freeman: 17 carries, 51 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 13 yards
- Brian Hill: 4 carries, 13 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 24 yards
- Kenjon Barner: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 6 yards
- Keith Smith: 2 carries, 4 yards | 1 target, 0 receptions
The Falcons offensive line struggled tonight, which led to a weak performance for the run game. Devonta Freeman owners should be encouraged that Atlanta seemed committed to running the ball even after they fell behind, and his 21 total touches are more than enough to make him a starting fantasy running back. The production might not have been there tonight, but most defenses are not as good as the Saints and there will be better days ahead for Freeman if he can maintain something close to this workload now that he has returned from injury. Freeman’s return made Brian Hill essentially useless for fantasy, and Hill is nothing more than a handcuff to Freeman at this point.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Calvin Ridley: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 91 yards
- Christian Blake: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 57 yards
- Russell Gage: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 52 yards, 1 TD
- Justin Hardy: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 28 yards
- Jaeden Graham: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
The Saints came into this game planning to use cornerback Marshon Lattimore to shadow Julio Jones, with Eli Apple following Calvin Ridley. With Jones out, the Saints decided to try keeping Apple on Ridley since that is what Apple had prepared for in the lead up to the game. That quickly proved to be a mismatch in favor of Ridley, as he drew two defensive pass interference penalties on Apple and got open for a catch before the Saints decided to treat Ridley like a number one receiver and both shadow him with Lattimore and shade help coverage his way. Ridley was still able to produce, but he could have had a much bigger day if the Saints had not been able to key in on him and if he hadn’t fumbled the ball out of bounds on what should have been a successful two-point conversion attempt. Christian Blake took Jones’s role in the offense and looked impressive, drawing a flag on Lattimore and creating separation pretty consistently. When Jones returns he won’t have any fantasy value, but he might be a name to key an eye on going forward. Jones was a game-time decision so he’ll likely be back next week, but Blake showed enough to warrant at least some level of involvement in the future. Jaeden Graham filled in for the injured Austin Hooper and caught a touchdown pass on a nice catch up the seam where he bounced off a defender and into the end zone. He makes for a viable fantasy option at tight end until Hooper returns.
- Dan Adams
(Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)