Buccaneers at Falcons: 5 best fantasy options

By John Buhler | Sep 10, 2016

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) shown on the sidelines during the game against the Washington Redskins during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Redskins 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

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Aug 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws a pass during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

4. player. 44. . Quarterback. Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan

2016 is going to be a very interesting year for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. He’s coming off a decent but less-than-desirable first season in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme. Ryan thrived for years running Dirk Koetter’s Air Coryell in Atlanta, but struggled with the little nuances of a West Coast offense in 2015.

Now Koetter is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Ryan’s former head coach, Mike Smith, now runs the defense in Tampa. Don’t think for a second that the Tampa coaching tandem aren’t scheming up something real tasty to throw Ryan off his game in Week 1.

That said, Ryan has always and probably will always throw for a ton of yards. He’s incredibly accurate passer with average to below-average arm strength. NFL.com has Ryan projected to yield 18.02 fantasy points, while ESPN.com has him projected to earn 14.8 fantasy points.

Should Ryan have two turnovers or fewer, the Falcons quarterback could get as many as 25 points in this one. Tampa Bay allowed 31 passing touchdowns (25th) and 3,840 yards through the air (16th) in 2015, so Ryan might be worth starting if the other fantasy quarterback on one’s roster has a tough matchup defensively.

Next: 3. Mike Evans

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