What We Saw: Week 6

Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals

 

Atlanta Falcons

 

Quarterback

 

• Matt Ryan: 30/36, 356 yards, 4 TDs | 2 carries, 7 yards

 

Matt Ryan continued his hot start to the season, breaking 300 yards in all six weeks and scoring multiple touchdowns for the fifth time. Ryan was able to take advantage of the weak Cardinals secondary for easy throws to wide-open players, especially tight end Austin Hooper and running back Devonta Freeman on their touchdown receptions. The Falcons defense looked awful today, as has been the case for much of this season, and as long as they continue to put the Falcons in catch-up mode Ryan will continue to put up great fantasy numbers. He’s been one of the most consistently awesome fantasy quarterbacks to start the season, and there’s no reason to expect that to change.

 

Running Backs

 

• Devonta Freeman: 19 carries, 88 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards, 2 TDs
• Ito Smith: 3 carries, 6 yards

 

Devonta Freeman had a great fantasy day against a bad Cardinals defense, but perhaps, more importantly, he dominated the backfield touches. Freeman saw 19 more touches than backup Ito Smith and scored both of his touchdowns on receptions in the red zone. Freeman did not look fantastic as a runner, and mostly just took what lanes were created for him by his offensive line, but if he can sustain this volume in this high-powered offense he should be able to produce quality fantasy lines. Smith is not seeing enough work to be started, but given Freeman’s injury history he remains one of the more valuable handcuffs.

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

 

• Julio Jones: 9 targets, 8 receptions, 108 yards
• Calvin Ridley: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD
• Mohamed Sanu: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 29 yards
• Austin Hooper: 8 targets, 8 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD

 

After limiting the tight ends of the Bengals last week the Cardinals went right back to allowing opposing tight ends to light them up. Austin Hooper continued his breakout season, catching an easy touchdown off of play-action and routinely getting open. Julio Jones was the other go-to option for Matt Ryan, and he had a solid fantasy day despite not reaching the end zone. Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu were both quiet for most of the game aside from a swing pass that Ridley caught and easily scored on early in the game. As with Ryan, for as long as the Falcons find themselves unable to stop opposing offenses their own offensive players will be good for fantasy teams and their defense has shown no signs of improvement. Jones and Hooper are top options at their respective positions, while Ridley and Sanu are solid flex plays depending on the matchup.

 

Arizona Cardinals

 

Quarterback

 

• Kyler Murray: 27/37, 340 yards, 3 TDs | 11 carries, 32 yards

 

Kyler Murray looked great as a passer today, and while his stats may not show it he was almost equally impressive with his legs. Murray did a good job of extending plays with his legs and avoiding pass rushers when the Falcons managed to get pressure, and scrambled for a first down to put the game away for the Cardinals. Murray does a good job of avoiding hits when he scrambles, sliding or going out of bounds every time rather than fighting for extra yards, which gives him a better chance of staying healthy over the course of the season as compared to other mobile quarterbacks that are more willing to take hard hits. Murray was accurate as a passer and displayed excellent timing on several throws. On one play he hit Damiere Byrd on a post route by placing the ball in the perfect spot between two defenders, on another he dropped the ball into David Johnson in the end zone right past his defender. The Falcons defense looked terrible, but Murray showed a lot of talent in this game that should translate even against good defenses. His rushing talent combined with his passing volume make him a fantasy quarterback worth starting regardless of matchup.

 

Running Backs

 

• David Johnson: 12 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD | 8 targets, 6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD
• Chase Edmonds: 5 carries, 34 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards, 1 TD

 

David Johnson struggled to find space as a runner but more than made up for it as a receiver. His touchdown came on a simple play where Johnson lined up as a receiver and had a linebacker trying to cover him in man coverage, which is a huge mismatch every time. Chase Edmonds was impressive again this week, looking explosive and breaking several tackles. His first reception was a short pass that he caught and ran into the end zone, beating the defenders to the edge. For his second reception he was lined up as a receiver and caught a quick screen after Kyler Murray faked a handoff to Johnson. Plays like that where both running backs are on the field should become more common, as both players are capable receivers and Edmonds appears to be too talented to waste on the bench. Edmonds’s ascent into a more prominent role with the offense makes him worth taking a flier on if he’s available, but Johnson’s spot as the lead back is safe and he should be started with confidence as a number one running back.

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends 

 

• Larry Fitzgerald: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 69 yards
• Damiere Byrd: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 60 yards
• Trent Sherfield: 1 target, 1 reception, 38 yards
• KeeSean Johnson: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
• Pharoh Cooper: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards | 1 carry, 2 yards
• Maxx Williams: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards, 1 TD

 

The Cardinals did a good job of spreading the ball around, which for fantasy meant that no one saw enough volume to return much value. Larry Fitzgerald was reliable as always, making a few catches in traffic and providing a safety valve for Kyler Murray. Trent Sherfield and Damiere Byrd each had long receptions, and Maxx Williams scored an easy touchdown on a beautiful play design that saw Williams fake a block before turning upfield completely uncovered. KeeSean Johnson and Pharoh Cooper were more involved in the offense than the other receivers, but neither one was able to turn their targets into any production. Once Christian Kirk returns from injury I would expect all of the receivers aside from Fitzgerald to fade from fantasy relevance, as none have stood out in Kirk’s absence. 

 

-Dan Adams