Matt Ryan

Fantasy Upside

Matt Ryan has seemed to consistently fly under the radar over the years in fantasy circles, even with a pair of top-two fantasy quarterback finishes over the past four seasons. Then we add in this fantasy nugget from John Paulsen: "Over the last eight years, Ryan has finished seventh or better in even years and 11th or worse in odd years." And as it is, this is an odd-numbered year and Ryan has arguably the best wide-receiver duo to throw to with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley (though Buccaneers fans might argue differently). Even at 35 years old, Ryan can still sling the football. Ryan also now has Hayden Hurst at tight end and Todd Gurley in the backfield. Atlanta also has its offensive line intact from 2019, which will be very important in this strange, unprecedented season.

Fantasy Downside

As with all quarterbacks 35 years or older, there's always the concern for the start of a decline in play. Some argue Ryan did decline in 2019. He missed Week 8 of last season with an ankle sprain but still came back to finish 11th in total fantasy scoring among quarterbacks.

2020 Bottom Line

2020 is certainly a key season for everyone with the Atlanta Falcons, particularly the coaching staff and head coach Dan Quinn. There is definitely a lot of pressure on this team to bounce back from a 7-9 finish and to continue the momentum they created in the second half of the season, where they won six out of eight. That starts with Ryan. And if John's notes hold true, Ryan should have another fine even-numbered season and be a quality fallback option after the pairing of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

Week 16 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
In Week 15, Ryan was 25/39 for 210 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, had five rushing attempts for 27 yards and finished as the QB9.

The Falcons are implied for 27 points, which, at the time of writing this breakdown, is the second-highest team total of the week. Jacksonville is a mediocre defense against quarterbacks and ranked nineteenth best, per our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. 4for4 rankings expert, John Paulsen, has Ryan ranked as a low-end QB1. Since his seven-point performance in Week 12 against Tampa Bay, Ryan has scored at least 16 points in his last three games. He is in play for championship teams who do not have the luxury of starting Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, or Deshaun Watson.

Week 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
Ryan is a three-point home favorite against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are ninth-best against quarterbacks, per our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. The over/under is 47 points, which is tied for the third-highest total this week. 4for4 rankings expert, John Paulsen, has Ryan ranked as fringe QB1. Ryan has been hit or miss but could benefit from the return of Julio Jones and Austin Hooper.