Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers
This game was completely dominated by the Falcons. They held the ball for 31:26 and were able to move the ball with ease. The Panthers held the ball for 28:34 and were behind for most of the game. It, unfortunately, didn’t help their stats much as the Falcons defense has had a resurgence out of nowhere the past 2 games.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
- Matt Ryan: 21/31, 311 yards, 1 TD
Matt Ryan was poised, accurate, and efficient today. He picked apart the Carolina defense when he needed to. The Falcons defense dominated for the second straight week, which is mystifying, which is unfortunate for Ryan’s garbage time production, but all is not lost. When the Falcons defense was letting up tons of points, Ryan was forced to throw a lot and was not able to slow the game down. It led to a very unbalanced attack and Ryan being forced to chuck the ball time and time again. This led to interceptions, fumbles, and a scattered and unfocused Ryan. It remains to be seen if these new-look Falcons can last, given how they looked the first half of the season. But if Ryan can get some semblance of help from his run game and defense, it will lead to more efficiency and a better passing attack overall. When the Falcons defense was awful to start the year, Ryan put up numbers, but he was inconsistent and erratic. If this defense is legitimately back, then Ryan’s upside may be capped, but he will still be a very good option for most weeks. Fire him up with confidence, as he has shown the ability to shred defenses even without two of his top weapons today.
Running Backs
- Brian Hill: 15 carries,30 yards | 3 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards
- Qadree Ollison: 4 carries, 11 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 0 receptions
Anyone who was hoping that a different, younger running back could look better than Devonta Freeman has this year was sorely disappointed. Brian Hill, a popular waiver-wire addition, was able to do nothing of note. He was never able to find running lanes against the Panthers, which is concerning given that the Panthers are near the bottom of the league in rushing defense. If you need Hill moving forward, he’s not the worst option, given that he received the majority of the work. He also had a touchdown called back in the red zone due to a holding call. Hill could be a flex play moving forward, but he didn’t look particularly good all game and got vultured by Qadree Ollison on the goal line. I would not trust either moving forward unless you are desperate.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Julio Jones: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 81 yards
- Russell Gage: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 32 yards
- Calvin Ridley: 8 targets, 8 receptions, 143 yards, 1 TD
The Falcons receivers picked apart the Panthers’ suspect secondary today. They seemed to be always open and were able to make numerous big plays down the field. Julio Jones was quieter today, but still put up a good stat line being covered by the Panthers’ only competent defensive back, James Bradberry. Although Jones still had a good day, I suspect this is why Calvin Ridley was able to have such an incredible one. Ridley seemed to be always open downfield and caught Ryan’s lone touchdown pass. Ridley has had an inconsistent year, but in plus matchups, he should be started with confidence. With the departure of Mohamed Sanu, I think this offense will remain the same as before-Jones and Ridley will get most of the targets, while the third receiver, this time being Russell Gage, will be an inconsistent PPR play. I suspect Ridley will be more involved now that Austin Hooper is hurt, but unfortunately, I think the buy-low window for him closed after this week’s performance. Continue to start Ridley and Jones with confidence and do not rely on anyone else until Hooper returns.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
- Kyle Allen: 31/50, 325 yards, 4 INT’s
Kyle Allen was terrible today. His offensive line was continuously collapsing on him as he seemed to become more and more flustered as the game progressed. He had a few good throws and was able to move the offense at times, but the momentum would always be stopped by a turnover. He was out of sync with all of his receivers and was never able to settle down; the Falcons jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. He threw a whopping 50 passes and still put up a stinker of a day; that is all you need to know in regards to his outlook for the rest of the season. Allen can be safely dropped in all leagues, and I would look elsewhere for the rest of the season for streaming options. The vocal minority that was calling for injured QB Cam Newton to be traded looks foolish now, as Allen has shown nothing that indicates he is ready to lead this offense. If the Panthers never return to Newton, I do not think Allen will be the answer.
Running Backs
- Christian McCaffrey: 14 carries, 70 yards | 14 targets, 11 receptions, 154 yards
Once again, Christian McCaffrey was tasked with carrying the entire Panthers offense. He was explosive as ever but was limited in his rushing opportunities due to the game flow. Since McCaffrey is the best pass-catching back in the league, though, it did not matter. There’s not much more I can say about McCaffrey that hasn’t already been said; he is the clear best option in fantasy by a mile. Not that anyone would be worried, but Mike Davis, recently signed by the Panthers from the Bears, did not receive a single snap. It is McCaffrey’s world and we are just living in it. He will undoubtedly carry many fantasy teams to a championship. Reggie Bonnafon is a speculative add for any McCaffrey owners if you have the bench room, as he is the clear handcuff, but McCaffrey has shown no signs of injury or slowing down despite his immense workload this season.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- DJ Moore: 15 targets, 8 receptions, 95 yards
- Curtis Samuel: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 25 yards
- Greg Olsen: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 57 yards
DJ Moore has got to catch a touchdown at some point, right? After receiving a mammoth target share this season, he got a whopping 15 today. However, with a crumbling Kyle Allen at quarterback, he was only able to convert a little more than half of them. After the Curtis Samuel hype train was the offseason story, Moore has shown that he is the clear #1 in this offense. He had a very good day today, and if he ever catches a touchdown, his upside is through the roof. In PPR leagues, Moore is a very good option every week, and if you can somehow buy low due to a lack of touchdowns, do it yesterday. Curtis Samuel received a respectable 7 targets, but Moore is Allen’s favorite target by far. Samuel can also be started most weeks, but his upside is capped due to his quarterback play. Greg Olsen also put up a respectable line and is a good tight end streamer. He’s not going to be spectacular most weeks, but in a barren tight end landscape, he at least gives you a safe floor that you can rely on.
-Ryan Comeau