Falcons Post-Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
By Adnan Ikic
2. Julio Jones
JULIOOOOOOHHHHH-MY-GOODNESS: Julio Jones (12 catches, 300 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown: 36.0 points)
Following a week where he was the “Fantasy Disappointment” in this column (1 catch, 16 yards, 0 touchdowns), Julio Jones absolutely sunk his teeth into a young Carolina secondary.
Matt Ryan peppered Jones with targets early in this one — connecting with the star wide-out on passes of 22 yards, 14 yards, and 15 yards on the first three plays of the game — and that set the tone for the entire afternoon.
Jones consistently abused James Bradberry, Bene Benwikere and Darryl Worley in one on one coverage. The big plays were there too — Julio recorded catches of 32 yards, 43 yards, 53 yards and 75 yards throughout the day.
The Alabama product took a post route for 75 yards and a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, beating and running past three defenders in the process.
The 300 receiving yards represents a new franchise record, the sixth highest mark in NFL history, and the most since Calvin Johnson had 329 yards against the Cowboys in 2013.
Oh, and also:
Analysis: I certainly hope you were able to take advantage of that one bad game for Julio, and that you traded for him in your league, if you didn’t already have him. Those 36 points of his were a game-breaker this week, and are the most points scored by a WR in a single fantasy game so far this season.
A tough match-up against the game’s best CB duo, Chris Harris Jr. and Aquib Talib, looms on the horizon, but there’s no way you should sit the hottest receiver in all of football — fire Julio Jones up as an elite WR1, and consider him match-up proof.