 Facebook |  Twitter
|  RSS |  Radio Show |  eNewsletter | Contact Us |
Sports News: NFL | NCAAF | NASCAR | MLB | NBA | Login |
 |
|
| Weekly Rankings: QB RB WR TE FLEX K DEF | 2009 Weekly Features: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 |
|
|
2009 Team Outlook: AtlantaFollowing a disastrous 4-12 season filled with major distractions, Atlanta embarked on a full scale rebuilding project in 2008 -- the success of the Falcons' youth movement may lead other teams to follow Atlanta's model in the future.
Atlanta's first move of the 2008 offseason was to bring in former New England Director of College Scouting Thomas Dimitroff as their General Manager. Dimitroff took action quickly, hiring former Jacksonville Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith as the Falcons' Head Coach and drafting Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the #3 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. Dimitroff hit a home run in Mike Smith and Matt Ryan, and also managed to pick up an excellent RB in Michael Turner off the free agent market.
Under the leadership of Mike Smith, Matt Ryan displayed tremendous poise, leadership, and a coolness under pressure that very few rookies ever display; leading Atlanta to a Wild Card Playoff berth in 2008. Ryan's development on the field can be attributed to the emergence of WR Roddy White as a Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver, and RB Michael Turner as a workhorse back capable of carrying the Falcons on the ground.
Atlanta's core group of young talented offensive stars return in 2009 with the notable addition of Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez, who will make Atlanta's offense a fantasy force in 2009 capable of putting up huge numbers every week of the fantasy season. Gonzalez adds a unique component to the Falcon's offense in a big playmaking tight end who commands constant defensive attention, which will only help take pressure off QB Matt Ryan, open up the field for WR Roddy White and running lanes for RB Michael Turner.
Atlanta's offense is on the verge of becoming a fantasy powerhouse, however there are still question marks on the defensive side of the ball that need to be answered before Atlanta is ready to become a Super Bowl Contender. Of the Falcons' eight picks in the 2009 NFL Draft, seven of the selections were defenders,; Dimitroff and Smith have their priorities straight in addressing the holes on defense, but the major question is how will the picks pan out?
Atlanta's 1st Round pick (#23 overall) DT Peria Jerry is a massive one gap run stuffer who will greatly improve Atlanta against the run, paired with breakout DT Jonathan Babineaux, DE John Abraham, and DE Jamaal Anderson on the defensive line. Atlanta's linebackers were a sore spot last season, and with the loss of Keith Brooking, the outlook isn't promising for 2009 starters Coy Wire, Curtis Lofton, and Mike Peterson. Atlanta still has major holes at both safety positions, but appears to have found two solid starters at the corners in Chris Houston and Von Hutchins. While Atlanta's offensive will be a fantasy gold-mine, their defense should be left on the wavier wire and avoided in 2009 fantasy drafts.
Atlanta's core offensive stars (Ryan, Turner, White, and Gonzalez) all rank in the top ten at their respective positions and are worthy of high selections in 2009 fantasy drafts. The keys to success for Atlanta in 2009 are: Will Atlanta be able to overcome a tough schedule facing both the NFC and AFC Easts, as well as the strong NFC South? Will the Falcons' young offensive line continue to play at the level they did in 2008? Will Matt Ryan improve on his impressive rookie campaign and develop into an elite QB in the NFL? If the answer is yes to all three questions, then Atlanta will make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and take a big step towards becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Camp Watch 8/21
After sitting out the entire first week of training camp, wide receiver Roddy White signed a new six year contract worth $50 million with $18 million guaranteed. 2nd year wide receiver Harry Douglas (who was slated to be the Falcons' #3 wide-out) tore his left ACL in early August and will miss the entire 2009 season. Eric Weems and Chandler Williams are most likely to fill the void left by Douglas' injury and are two sleepers to keep an eye on in the Falcons' remaining pre-season games. QB Matt Ryan, ATL (QB - #14) - Solid/Safe PickThe Atlanta Falcons hit a home run when they selected Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the #3 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Matt Ryan completed 265-of-434 passes (61.1 comp. pct.) for 3,440 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, adding 199 yards passing with two TDs and two interceptions in the postseason versus Arizona. Ryan added 104 yards and a score on the ground with one fumble lost over the whole season. Ryan showed improvement week to week, catching fire after his slow first four games out of the gate, when he had just two TDs and zero 200-yard games. Matt Ryan has been lauded with every superlative imaginable for his tremendous leadership, poise, and ability on the field as a rookie in 2008, but fantasy owners should know that 2008 is just the beginning for Matt Ryan (who has the potential to become one of the premier QB's in the NFL). Teammate WR Michael Jenkins (who caught Matt Ryan's first professional pass -- a 62 yard TD in Week 1 versus Detroit) stated this about Ryan in an ESPN interview: "He's a Tom Brady/Peyton Manning type who can win multiple Super Bowls."
With the supporting cast Ryan has in RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and TE Tony Gonzalez, Ryan may be ready to lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl as soon as 2009. The major obstacle for Ryan in 2009 will be overcoming a difficult schedule in which Atlanta faces both the NFC and AFC East, and still must contend with Carolina, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay (all playoff caliber opponents) in their own division.
Ryan has the ability and the potential to become a fantasy stud at the quarterback position in 2009, making him an excellent pick as a #1 QB for your fantasy squad. Any quarterback handing the ball off to Michael Turner (or throwing to Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez) would be worthy of a high draft pick in fantasy football, but Ryan's exceptional skill level and potential make him an even sexier fantasy pick in 2009.
Update 8/21
The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that Matt Ryan is anxious for more playing time in the Falcons' second pre-season game tonight versus the St. Louis Rams. Ryan played only two series in the Falcons' pre-season opener against Detroit, going 5 for 7 for 33 yards. "We have to clean some things up from what we did last week," Ryan said. "Cut down on some of the mental errors, work on the execution. Ultimately, you want to score points. That's what we are looking for this week."
RB Jerious Norwood, ATL (RB - #62) - Quality BackupMichael Turner is the unquestioned number one backfield option for the Atlanta Falcons; however Jerious Norwood is an excellent complementary backfield mate who complements the downhill, hard nosed running style of Turner. Norwood carried the ball 6 or fewer times in 13 of the Falcons' 16 games in 2008, and the three times he carried the ball 14, 11, and 13 times were against Detroit, Kansas City, and Oakland (the #30-32 run defenses in 2008). The totals look better than the game-by-game breakdown as he had 489 rush yards, four rush TDs (two in Week 17) and 338 receiving yards and two receiving TDs on 36 catches with one fumble. While the receptions stats were career-highs, the rushing yardage was a career-low. One thing is for sure: Norwood is fast as he's averaged 6.4, 6.0 and 5.1 yards per carry in his first three seasons. Expect Norwood to try and take advantage of the playing time he gets as he's scheduled to be a free agent after the '09 season. He's a must-draft as an insurance policy for Michael Turner and a quality backup RB selection in the middle rounds of 2009 fantasy drafts with upside. Update 8/21 Norwood followed up Michael Turner's impressive debut with 6 carries for 22 yards in the Falcons' pre-season opener. Norwood will likely see an increase in carries this season as Atlanta tries to limit Turner from exceeding 376 carries. The biggest question still remains: Will Norwood see enough carries to have an impact every single week? The answer (at least for the moment) remains to be seen, but Norwood is an intriguing backup to watch this season who could see an increased role at any moment. RB Michael Turner, ATL (RB - #15) - Stud (low risk)Michael Turner was a prime breakout candidate entering the 2008 season, delivering for fantasy owners by rushing for 1,699 yards and 17 TD's on 376 carries in his first season in a Falcons uniform. LaDainian Tomlinson's longtime backup was considered the top running back in the league without a starting job, and produced at an elite level once given the opportunity after signing a 6 year $34.5 million free agent contract with Atlanta.
With a majority of NFL franchises switching to a RBBC (running back by committee) approach, Michael Turner is an extremely valuable fantasy RB because he carries an entire workload and is the Falcons' unquestioned goal line option. Jerious Norwood is a valuable return man and change of pace back, but is no threat to Turner's workload (as Atlanta showed in 2008).
Michael Turner is worthy of a selection in the 1st round of 2009 fantasy drafts, and barring injuries Turner should post similar numbers for fantasy owners in 2009 as he did last season He should see his fantasy stock continue to rise in Atlanta's high powered offense. Fantasy owners drafting Turner should expect 1,500 yards and 15 TD's -- slightly lower totals than in 2008 due to a much more difficult schedule on paper in 2009.
Update 8/21
Turner was impressive in his exhibition debut, rushing for 63 yards on 6 carries -- including a 40 yard TD on the Falcons' second possession. Atlanta would like to limit Turner to around 370 carries this season, but he is showing that he will be a fantasy stud no matter how many carries the Falcons give him.
WR Marty Booker, ATL - Super Sleeper (high risk/potential)Marty Booker was signed shortly after Harry Douglas tore his ACL, and is currently listed as the backup to Roddy White on the Falcons' depth chart. Injuries can often lead to fantasy sleepers, and Booker is an intriguing veteran to target in the late rounds as a potential sleeper in the Falcons offense working out of the slot. Booker will be battling with Brian Finneran for the #3 job, and the slight edge goes to Booker based on his talent alone. Booker should be a solid bench option in most fantasy leagues, and even worth a look on bye-weeks in deeper leagues. WR Harry Douglas, ATL - Deep-league OnlyRookie wide receiver Harry Douglas (Atlanta's 3rd round selection) showed flashes of potential in 2008 but was mostly limited as a third receiver for the Falcons. Douglas totaled 320 yards on 23 catches (13.9 avg.) with one touchdown, adding 69 yards on 12 carries with a rushing touchdown and a fumble. Douglas' role in the offense would have expanded greatly in 2009, but the addition of TE Tony Gonzalez will greatly limit his role in the passing game. Aside from a major injury occurring, Douglas will not be worthy of considerable attention in fantasy football in 2009. Douglas is worth keeping an eye on in your league's wavier wire, and will be a valuable addition to any fantasy squad if his role in Atlanta's offense were to expand for any reason in 2009. Update 8/21 Douglas tore his left ACL on August 5th, and will miss the entire 2009 season. Douglas has zero value in fantasy football this season, but will likely compete for the #3 role in the Falcons offense once again when he returns next season.
|
Follow:
Week 21 Features
|
||||||||||||||||||
