NFL Fantasy Football Matchup Cheat Sheet: Atlanta Falcons
In NFL daily fantasy leagues, matchups are important. Week-to-week, you should pay attention to favorable matchups rather than the overall quality of any given player. It is better to select an above-average talent facing poor or average defense than an elite talent facing above-average or elite defense.
Each position in ranked according to one of these four ratings: Elite, Above-average, Average, and Poor.
Offense
QB Matt Ryan: Above-average
RB Steven Jackson, Jaquizz Rodgers, Devonta Freeman: Average
WR1 Julio Jones: Elite
WR2 Roddy White: Above-average
Slot WR Harry Douglas: Average
TE Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe: Poor
O-line: LT Sam Baker, LG Justin Blalock, C Joe Hawley, RG Jon Asamoah, RT Jake Matthews: Average
As long as Julio is healthy, he and Matt Ryan are always a good matchup against average and poor secondaries. Expect Atlanta to run by committee and not be too successful. Much-needed additions to the o-line Jon Asamoah and Jake Matthews should keep Ryan away from as much pressure as he saw in 2013, enhancing his production.
Defense
CB1 Desmond Trufant: Above-average
CB2 Robert Alford: Average
Nickel CB Robert McClain: Average
Safeties: SS William Moore, FS Dwight Lowery: Average
Linebackers: OLB Kroy Biermann, ILB Paul Worrilow, ILB Sean Weatherspoon, OLB Osi Umenyiora: Poor
D-line: DE Tyson Jackson, NT Paul Soliai, RE Ra’Shede Hageman: Above-average
QBs, WR2s, and WR3s all have favorable matchups against Atlanta. Trufant is a formidable CB1 though, so I recommend only taking elite WR1s against him.
Soliai is a force in the middle of the line, and Jackson has never lived up to his draft selection but has shown to be an effective run-stopper. If you want to take a RB against Atlanta, go for a speedy outside runner rather than a grinder who often runs up the middle.
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