The 2017 Falcons From A Fantasy Football Perspective
Despite losing Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan this past offseason, the Falcons offer a lot of potential scoring for fantasy owners in 2017.
Quarterback
Reigning MVP Matt Ryan should be one of the first five or so QBs taken in any fantasy draft. By all accounts he’s getting along just fine with new OC Steve Sarkisian and will be surrounded by a plethora of weapons. If whoever replaces Chris Chester is at least as good as he was, there’s no reason why Ryan can’t put up 4,000+ yards and 30+ touchdowns.
Running Back
Devonta Freeman might likely go as high at RB as Ryan does at QB. While he may very well not rush for as many yards or run for as many touchdowns as the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, or David Johnson, his pass catching skills help increase his value, especially in PPR (points per reception) leagues. Yes, he’ll lose touches to Tevin Coleman and possibly goal-line opportunities to rookie Brian Hill, but he’s still one of the best backs in fantasy football.
Coleman’s value is limited as long as Freeman is healthy, but if Freeman should ever go down for any extended period of time, Coleman should be pounced upon immediately if he’s out there on the waiver wire.
Wide Receiver
Just like Ryan at QB and Freeman at RB, Julio Jones is an elite fantasy performer. He’s a lock for 1,000+ yards, and should get plenty of targets to reach around 100 receptions. The only downsides to Jones are that he has a tendency to get nicked up for a couple of games each year, and surprisingly rarely gets double-digit touchdowns.
Mohamed Sanu had the best year of his career as the second fiddle to Jones, but I’d be hesitant to reply upon him for consistent production. There’s too many other options for Ryan to turn to after Julio Jones.
Taylor Gabriel was a revelation as a waiver wire pickup for Atlanta last year, and likely has moved himself up to being the #3 receiver on the depth chart. He’s not likely going to get a ton of targets, but his speed means he’s a legitimate threat to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball. Don’t forget that he’s also going to get touches as a runner on jet sweeps and other gadget plays.
Tight End
Here’s where a fantasy owner should exercise caution in regards to the Falcons. Second-year man Austin Hooper looks to be the obvious heir-apparent to Jacob Tamme, and he performed decently enough when called upon after Tamme went down with an injury last year. However, projecting such a young player is always iffy in fantasy football. To me Hooper is a backup fantasy player until he proves otherwise, and as such should be drafted late, if at all. Given his youth and potential, however, his value increases if you play in a keeper league.
I wouldn’t consider Levine Toilolo or Eric Saubert on Draft Day, but if Hooper suffers an injury, they might be palatable waiver wire pickups.
Kicker
Yet another top-flight performer from the Falcons here. Matt Bryant will have plenty of opportunities to put up points with the way this offense should move the ball. Additionally, he’s playing ten games in a dome this year and gets Chicago and Buffalo fairly early in the season. The only real potential for bad weather for him to kick in would be October 22 against the Patriots and November 20 against Seattle (both night games, to boot).
Defense / Special Teams
From a fantasy perspective, this unit was better than you would think in 2016. Yes, the defense allowed a boatload of points and yardage and the return game was nearly non-existent, but this was a viable fantasy unit. They had 34 sacks, 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and five defensive touchdowns.
Then consider how young this defense is and its potential for improvement. Consider the additions of Dontari Poe and Jack Crawford in free agency and Takkarist McKinley and Duke Riley in the draft. Consider that Eric Weems has been replaced by Andre Roberts (2 Punt Return touchdowns last year) as the primary kick and punt returner. I’m not saying Atlanta’s defense should be one of the first ones taken in a fantasy draft, but don’t be surprised if they wind up being a solid option.