Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is listed as active in advance of the team’s Week 16 tilt against the New Orleans Saints.
The Atlanta Falcons will fight for their improbable playoff lives with their top offensive skill player on the active roster. After sitting out Week 15 with an undisclosed hip injury, receiver Julio Jones will suit up in Week 16, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He took part in a series of pre-game warmup drills and was then cleared to play after discussions with team trainers.
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The question from here, of course, centers around the role of Jones in Atlanta’s game plan against the New Orleans Saints. Jones hasn’t practiced since he left the team’s Week 14 match against the Green Bay Packers, and while rust shouldn’t be too much of a concern with one the game’s best receivers, Jones’ pain threshold could become an issue.
Is Jones is listed as active to play, or to simply be a decoy and help make space for Roddy White and Harry Douglas? We won’t know until the game is underway, but the team has previously hinted that if they listed Jones as active, it wouldn’t be to simply line him up as a decoy. Of course, teams will say anything and everything to mislead the public for strategic purposes.
Expect Julio Jones to give it an honest go, but a hip injury is a pretty deep-seeded pain and if he tweaks that injury mid-game, the Falcons likely won’t hesitate to shut him down.
Fantasy owners needing a safe play would be wise to handcuff Jones with Harry Douglas and take the higher floor. Those in need of a home run will have to ride Julio Jones, who has as high of a ceiling as any receiver in the NFL.
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