Matt Ryan's kept under 200 passing yards. Tevin Coleman musters 2.2 yards per carry. Julio Jones can't find the end zone on only five catches. Austin Hooper goes for negative yards. Seattle puts up 31 points.
And yet Atlanta won.
From a fantasy perspective, there was little to cheer about if you started all the normally startable Falcons. Ryan turned in the 14th best QB performance of Week 11, while Coleman--starting in place of the injured Devonta Freeman and earning a healthy 21 touches (seventh most among all flex players this past week) barely reached low-end RB2 levels. Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen, and Robert Woods leapfrogged Julio in fantasy points, pushing the preseason top-3 wideout off the WR1 plateau he's occupied on a per-game-played basis in each of his other six NFL seasons.
The Falcons are in an interesting place, with underperformers at most offensive positions, yet positioned to put up gaudy numbers in weeks 12 and 15 against a Bucs team that can't stop anyone through the air, and in weeks 14 and 16 versus a Saints squad that can't stop many teams on the ground. Do not give up on Ryan, Freeman, Coleman, Julio, or Hooper. And keep considering Mohamed Sanu as a TD-dependent WR4. The best of Atlanta's offense is yet to come.
I won't spend as much time on Seattle. But I'll point out that J.D. McKissic was my dart-throw bargain RB on my podcast two or three weeks ago. With neither Eddie Lacy nor Thomas Rawls stepping up, and with C.J. Prosise chronically injured, McKissic displayed play-making ability not seen elsewhere in this backfield. If he earned the touches, he'd be fantasy relevant. Yesterday he picked up 53 yards on 12 touches while Rawls was a scratch and Lacy tumbled for two yards on three carries. Yes, Mike Davis looked good before getting hurt. But we've seen what Davis can do (and more to the point, can't do) in his brief career. My eyes are on McKissic and the value he could offer to those seeking an almost universally available RB3+ this late in the season.
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Robert Woods will miss time with a shoulder injury, thrusting Sammy Watkins into the "Can he do what he was acquired to do?" spotlight. For the fifth time, the Rams' late-season schedule is unfavorable. So temper expectations, while also realizing Watkins and Cooper Kupp could soak up targets.
Kelvin Benjamin's knee injury is not as serious as initially feared, meaning he could suit up in the next week or two. A WR2/3 before his trade to Buffalo, those rostering him now have to wonder if he'll be startable at all during the fantasy regular season.
The Cardinals inexplicably cut Andre Ellington, even though he was due to become a free agent in about six weeks. If he lands in the right spot, he could be an RB3 in PPR for the home stretch.
Ryan Fitzpatrick will suit up again in Week 12, while Paxton Lynch could get another chance to prove he's not an NFL bust--and against a Raiders D that's yielded far and away the league's highest opposing QB rating (113.3) while not intercepting a single pass. Lynch would be on the one-week streaming radar.
And Blaine Gabbert's three-TD day has earned him another start. But this time he'll face the Jaguars. Temper expectations.
And yet Atlanta won.
From a fantasy perspective, there was little to cheer about if you started all the normally startable Falcons. Ryan turned in the 14th best QB performance of Week 11, while Coleman--starting in place of the injured Devonta Freeman and earning a healthy 21 touches (seventh most among all flex players this past week) barely reached low-end RB2 levels. Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen, and Robert Woods leapfrogged Julio in fantasy points, pushing the preseason top-3 wideout off the WR1 plateau he's occupied on a per-game-played basis in each of his other six NFL seasons.
The Falcons are in an interesting place, with underperformers at most offensive positions, yet positioned to put up gaudy numbers in weeks 12 and 15 against a Bucs team that can't stop anyone through the air, and in weeks 14 and 16 versus a Saints squad that can't stop many teams on the ground. Do not give up on Ryan, Freeman, Coleman, Julio, or Hooper. And keep considering Mohamed Sanu as a TD-dependent WR4. The best of Atlanta's offense is yet to come.
I won't spend as much time on Seattle. But I'll point out that J.D. McKissic was my dart-throw bargain RB on my podcast two or three weeks ago. With neither Eddie Lacy nor Thomas Rawls stepping up, and with C.J. Prosise chronically injured, McKissic displayed play-making ability not seen elsewhere in this backfield. If he earned the touches, he'd be fantasy relevant. Yesterday he picked up 53 yards on 12 touches while Rawls was a scratch and Lacy tumbled for two yards on three carries. Yes, Mike Davis looked good before getting hurt. But we've seen what Davis can do (and more to the point, can't do) in his brief career. My eyes are on McKissic and the value he could offer to those seeking an almost universally available RB3+ this late in the season.
---
Robert Woods will miss time with a shoulder injury, thrusting Sammy Watkins into the "Can he do what he was acquired to do?" spotlight. For the fifth time, the Rams' late-season schedule is unfavorable. So temper expectations, while also realizing Watkins and Cooper Kupp could soak up targets.
Kelvin Benjamin's knee injury is not as serious as initially feared, meaning he could suit up in the next week or two. A WR2/3 before his trade to Buffalo, those rostering him now have to wonder if he'll be startable at all during the fantasy regular season.
The Cardinals inexplicably cut Andre Ellington, even though he was due to become a free agent in about six weeks. If he lands in the right spot, he could be an RB3 in PPR for the home stretch.
Ryan Fitzpatrick will suit up again in Week 12, while Paxton Lynch could get another chance to prove he's not an NFL bust--and against a Raiders D that's yielded far and away the league's highest opposing QB rating (113.3) while not intercepting a single pass. Lynch would be on the one-week streaming radar.
And Blaine Gabbert's three-TD day has earned him another start. But this time he'll face the Jaguars. Temper expectations.