Fantasy Football: Atlanta Falcons 2015 Season Preview

The Falcons finished last season with a 6-10 record where they placed 3rd in the AFC South Division. As an Offensive unit the Falcons are fantasy gold. They have a stud wide receiver in Julio Jones, and Matt Ryan is one of the safest quarterbacks in fantasy. The Falcons have two young horses at running back that could be gems in fantasy this season. You will want to invest in the Atlanta offense

Quarterback

Matt Ryan

Ryan finished last season ranked 7^th among QBs in fantasy production with 401.20 points on the year averaging 25.08 points per game. Matt Ryan had 15 games where he scored 10 fantasy points or more, and he had 10 games where he scored 20 fantasy points or more. Ryan is very safe, he didn’t have one game where he was a bust last season, and he has just as much upside as any QB in the league. Ryan is currently going in the middle rounds in fantasy drafts (ESPN ADP of 74.7). I like Ryan this year, and he could be a bargain for you this season if you’re not a fan of drafting your QBs late.

Running Back

Tevin Coleman

Coleman was selected in the 3^rd round of this year’s draft by the Atlanta Falcons. There’s a good chance that he’s going to be the starter for the Falcons. He has the speed to bust out long gains, and he’s not going to face many 8-man fronts because defenses have to take Julio Jones into account when they are game planning the Falcons. Coleman is going off the board in the mid-4^th round to the early 5^th with an ESPN ADP of 60.8. I like Coleman and I consider him a break out candidate this season.

Devonta Freeman

Freeman finished last season ranked 49^th among RBs with 92.55 points averaging 5.78 points per game. Freeman is a hard runner, but he doesn’t have the talent to deliver the upside you want on your fantasy team. The Falcons spent and early 3^rd round pick on Coleman because they felt they had an obvious need at RB, and if Freeman was a 3-down back they wouldn’t have used that amount of capital on Coleman. I would place Freeman on your watch list, but I think he’s going to be drafted in the later rounds of your drafts.

Wide Receiver

Julio Jones

Jones finished 5^th among receivers in fantasy production with 303.90 fantasy points on the year averaging 20.26 fantasy points per game. Jones had 14 games where he scored more than 10 fantasy points, and he had 5 games where he scored 20 or more fantasy points. Jones is a stud wide receiver, and he will win 2-3 games for you on his own. He’s safe; he rarely has weeks where he busts. Jones goes anywhere in the late-1^st round to the mid-2^nd, and I recommend drafting him in that range.

Roddy White

White finished last season ranked 22^nd among wide receivers in fantasy production with 213.60 fantasy points on the year while averaging 15.26 fantasy points per game. White had 11 games where he scored 10 fantasy points or more, and he had 2 games where he scored 20 points or more. White is aging and he’s slowing down a bit, but he can still be a solid flex play for your lineup while delivering WR2 results during some weeks. The risk with him is that he has a tendency to get little injuries that keep him out of the lineup. The volume is going to be there for him to be productive when he is healthy.

Justin Hardy

The Falcons selected Hardy in the 4^th round of this year’s draft. Hardy is a player you should add to your watch list because there’s a chance he could be utilized in the slot and be valuable in PPR leagues.

Tight End

Jacob Tamme/Tony Moeaki

I wouldn’t draft either tight end here, but I would place them on your watch list and monitor their snap and target share for a possible waiver wire pick up.

Defense/Special Teams

The Falcons DST ranked 27^th last year in fantasy production with 60 fantasy points. They had 3 games where they scored 10 fantasy points or more. The Falcons defense isn’t that good and they play in a division that doesn’t present any good matchups for them. They may have a couple good games against the Buccaneers if Jameis Winston struggles, but I look for him to have a decent rookie campaign. Falcons defense isn’t a unit that you are going to draft, but they may have some streaming opportunities.

Need help making roster decisions? Need help on who to pick off the waiver wire? Need an opinion on that trade offer that’s in your inbox? I’m your guy, follow me on Twitter @bmatz08, and I’ll give you the guidance you need to make the best choice for your fantasy team.

Next: Tennesse Titans 2015 Season Preview

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