The Atlanta Falcons went from 11-5 and Super Bowl runners-up in 2016 to 10-6 and out in the Divisional Round in 2017. By points scored, the fall was more precipitous, with the team dropping from 33.8 points per game to 22.1.
The team’s fortunes followed those of QB Matt Ryan, who was still an excellent quarterback — finishing with the second-highest PFF grade at the position — but the strong performance wasn’t reflected in his fantasy totals.
With basically the same stable of weapons since 2016, the Falcons don’t need massive changes on offense to offer fantasy help. Here’s a look at what would be interesting to see.
Three additions we want to see for fantasy
John Brown, WR: Brown is a free agent in Arizona. Put him on the right, Julio Jones on the left, and Mohamed Sanu in the slot, and this offense could look to approximate what it was in 2016. And since the team already does have Jones and Sanu, any receiver that does come in won't need to be the focal point, like an Allen Robinson might.
Tyler Eifert, TE: The Falcons haven’t had an elite pass-catching tight end since Tony Gonzalez retired. Two years into his career, Austin Hooper has been a better run-blocker than a pass-catcher. Give the offense a second tight end with potentially elite receiving ability, and the offense could boom. Eifert still has injury concerns, but with Hooper in the fold, the team could withstand any absence and capitalize on his high ceiling.
First- or second-round receiver: Julio Jones will be 29 when next season starts, and has PFF grades over 90 each of the last three years, but age catches up with everyone eventually. The team might want to consider investing in his eventual replacement.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.