Week 15 at Minnesota Vikings
Matt Ryan had 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Cowboys before the bye last week. Unfortunately, he also threw three picks and the Colts lost a lopsided affair. Ryan hasn’t had the impact the Colts hoped he would have and Indianapolis has now dropped three straight games.
Ryan has a great matchup this week against a Vikings defense that ranks 31st in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. With the nice matchup, he’s worth considering as a streaming option and is definitely a starter in 2QB formats, but we still have him ranked outside of QB1 territory. The Colts still want to run the ball.
Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Matt Ryan has delivered a win and a close loss in his two games back as a starter, but he’s not delivering big fantasy numbers. He has just 435 total passing yards and one touchdown - plus a rare rushing touchdown - over the past two weeks.
Ryan has a nice matchup against the Steelers this week, who rank 24th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. While a healthy T.J. Watt spells trouble for passers, they gave up multiple touchdown passes to Joe Burrow last week and have too many holes on the defense to be the kind of elite force we’re accustomed to. Still we have Ryan ranked as a low-end QB2 option based on the structure of this offense and fantasy managers should look elsewhere if possible.
Week 11 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Matt Ryan was back under center last week against the Raiders and delivered a win to go with his 222 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also added a touchdown on the ground and gave Colts fans some hope after it appeared they were giving up on the season.
This week, Ryan faces an Eagles defense that ranks number one in the league in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. While game script may favor passing numbers for the Colts this week, Ryan should be considered a low-end QB2 with how much he’s struggled this year and a tough matchup on the docket. You should have better options available in 1QB formats.
Week 7 at Tennessee Titans
Matt Ryan finally got it going last week against the Jaguars, throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a critical division win for the Colts. It was only Ryan’s second game this year without throwing at least one pick, and a great sign for fantasy managers – and Colts fans – moving forward.
This week, Ryan has streaming potential against the Titans, who rank 27th in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. It’s risky to bank on him, given the struggles he’s had so far this season, but the Colts are still just half a game out of the lead in the AFC South and Ryan could turn things around as he gets more comfortable in this offense. We have him as a QB2 or decent streaming option this week.
Week 6 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Matt Ryan gets credited with the victory over the struggling Broncos last week, but he was miserable in the game. He threw for 251 yards, zero touchdowns, and a pair of ugly interceptions. Ryan has really struggled so far this year and now he faces the same Jaguars defense he threw three picks against back in Week 2. Sit him until further notice.
Week 5 at Denver Broncos
Matt Ryan had a fine enough fantasy day last week in a loss to the Titans, throwing for 356 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. However, much of that was in garbage time, and the game wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The Colts have struggled this season and are now 0-2-1 in division games.
This week, Ryan faces a Broncos defense that ranks seventh in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks this season. In a tough matchup and with the struggles this offense has had as a whole – not to mention Jonathan Taylor dealing with an ankle injury – it’s just too hard to trust Ryan in most fantasy leagues. Sit him. He’s droppable in leagues that start only one quarterback.
Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans
Matt Ryan ended up with a decent enough day last week, getting the unlikely win over the Chiefs and throwing for two touchdowns to go with 222 passing yards. For most of the game, however, Ryan struggled to move the offense and it’s fair to wonder if he’s lost a step at age 37. He has three touchdowns and four interceptions so far. It’s also possible he’s just taking some time to get acclimated to the offense. Still, take a wait-and-see approach to Ryan and leave him on the bench unless you’re in a deep 2QB league. The Titans have been a mixed bag defensively, but you should have better options available to you than Ryan.
Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Matt Ryan had a disappointing game against the Texans in Week 1, but he was just straight up bad against the Jaguars last week. The Colts were shut out and Ryan was limited to 195 yards, zero touchdowns, and three picks. He also completed just 53% of his passes. Even if Michael Pittman Jr. is able to return to action this week, fantasy managers should avoid Ryan until he shows otherwise. Sit him.
Week 2 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Matt Ryan had a tough three quarters against the Texans, but turned it on in the fourth, scoring 17 points to force an opening week tie against their division rivals. It was a disappointing result for the heavily-favored Colts, but Ryan served up a decent enough 352 yards, a touchdown, and a pick on the day.
This week, Ryan gets a nice matchup against the Jaguars who just made Carson Wentz look like 2017 Carson Wentz. His lack of rushing production limits his potential, but if you need a streaming option or a solid QB2 in your lineup, Ryan is your guy.
Update: with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce both set to miss Week 2, Ryan is a shaky starting option. Look elsewhere if you can, and expect a run-heavy approach from the Indianapolis offense.
Week 1 at Houston Texans
Matt Ryan struggled along with the rest of the Falcons’ offense last year, and he finished under 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2010. Now with the Colts, he may still have limited pass-attempts – Indianapolis was 27th in pass attempts last year – but he should be able to be more efficient with opposing defenses focused heavily on stopping the rushing attack.
Ryan starts his post-Atlanta career against a Texans defense that ranked 21st in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks last year. With the Colts likely leading the game throughout, expect limited passing attempts for Ryan, making him a quality QB2 option but not likely to be worth starting in typical 1QB leagues. Look elsewhere for Week 1.
