Week 5 at Houston Texans
In Week 4, Sanu led the Falcons in targets (12) and tied Austin Hooper with nine receptions. Sanu set a season-high mark with 91 receiving yards.
The Texans are ranked fourth-worst against wide receivers, according to our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. 4for4 rankings expert John Paulsen has Sanu ranked as the half PPR WR55. Sanu has the weekly ceiling to score two touchdowns but also has an extremely low floor. Start him at your own risk.
Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans
In Week 3, Mohamed Sanu had a season-high performance against the Colts. He finished with six receptions on six targets for 75 yards, 18% of the team targets, and 21% of the team air yards. He hasn’t found the end zone this season and continues to have a low weekly ceiling.
The Titans are ranked fifth best against wide receivers, according to our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. 4for4 rankings expert John Paulsen has Sanu ranked as the Half PPR WR56. Fantasy owners should look for other wide receiver streaming options with better matchups.
Week 3 at Indianapolis Colts
Against a poor Eagles secondary, Sanu finished with four receptions on seven targets for 16 yards, two touchdowns, 16% of the team targets, and 9% of the team air yards. Through two weeks, Sanu is the Half PPR WR71 with 11.8 fantasy points. Sanu will matchup against a zone heavy Colts defense in Week 3 but he is clearly the third wide receiver option for Matt Ryan. 4for4’s rankings expert John Paulsen has Sanu ranked as the Half PPR WR65. Fantasy owners should look for other wide receiver streaming options.
Week 2 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sanu had another typical Sanu game in Week 1. He finished with five receptions on six targets for 57 yards, 13% of the team targets, 10% of the team air yards, and finished as the Half PPR WR51 with 8.2 fantasy points. He continues to be a consistent WR4 with WR2 upside if he can find the end zone. The problem is touchdowns are one of the most difficult statistics to predict, which makes Sanu a risky dart throw.
The good news is that the Falcons are implied for 25.25 points at home and will face an Eagles secondary who gave up 380 yards against the Washington Redskins in Week 1. The Eagles are ranked seventh-worst against wide receivers according to our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric. 4for4 rankings expert John Paulsen has Sanu ranked as the Half PPR WR55.
Week 1 at Minnesota Vikings
Sanu will primarily work out of the slot position in a high powered offense that finished 2018 as the tenth highest-scoring team in the regular season, 25.9 points per game. He has been consistent over the last two seasons but he doesn’t have week-to-week matchup winning performances like teammate, Calvin Ridley.
The matchup against the Vikings is less than ideal as shown by our signature schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed metric that has the Vikings ranked third best against wide receivers. John Paulsen has Sanu as the PPR WR60 in Week 1 with a median projection of 8.3 fantasy points. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere for starting wide receivers.
Fantasy Upside
Sanu will primarily work out of the slot position in a high powered offense that finished 2018 as the tenth highest-scoring team in the regular season, 25.9 points per game. Dirk Koetter returns as the offensive coordinator, which is good news for Sanu because Koetter likes to feature 11 personnel (3 wide receivers, 1 running back, and 1 tight end). As the Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator in 2017, Dirk Koetter used 11 personnel on 74% of passing plays so expect Sanu to get a decent amount of playing time. Sanu joined the Falcons in 2016 and has started in at least 15 games in all three seasons. Speaking of consistency, his numbers over the last two seasons are nearly identical. In 2017, he had 96 targets, 67 receptions, 703 yards, five touchdowns, and was the WR32 in half PPR scoring. In 2018, he had 93 targets, 65 receptions, 830 yards, four touchdowns and was the WR30 in half PPR scoring.
Fantasy Downside
He has been consistent over the last two seasons but he doesn’t have week-to-week matchup winning performances like teammate, Calvin Ridley. In half PPR scoring, he only scored above 15 fantasy points in two of his 16 games and finished as a WR4 or worse in 56% of his games last season.
2019 Bottom Line
Sanu should see the field a fair amount in Dirk Koetter’s offense but his team target share with the Falcons has never been above 19%. Teammates Jones, Ridley, and Hooper all return from last year so it would be surprising to see Sanu top his 2018 team target share of 15%. You can build a solid floor with his weekly performances but the week winning performances are few and far between.
Week 17 at Tampa Bay Bucs
Mohamed Sanu caught five-of-eight targets for 81 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 16 win over the Panthers and he also rushed twice for 29 yards. His touchdown came from 44 yards out against busted coverage by Carolina’s struggling secondary. The Falcons have nothing to play for Sunday when they visit the Bucs, but they can finish their 2018 season with three straight wins. Ranked as our WR32 for Week 17, Sanu is an intriguing dart throw against a Tampa Bay defense that has struggled for most of the year.
Week 16 at Carolina Panthers
Mohamed Sanu caught three-of-six targets for 30 yards in the Falcons’ Week 15 win over the Panthers. With Julio Jones (hip) missing practice time this week and Atlanta officially eliminated from playoff contention, perhaps Sanu will have some fantasy appeal this Sunday if Jones doesn’t play. That said, if Jones suits up then Sanu will remain a WR4/5 and you can avoid him when the Falcons visit the Panthers on Sunday. For now, he is our WR47 for Week 16 but make sure to check back before kickoff on Sunday because if Jones is out, Sanu could see a bump.
Week 15 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Mohamed Sanu caught six-of-eight targets for 54 yards in the Falcons’ Week 14 loss to the Packers. While the eight targets stand out, he hasn’t scored since Week 6 and has topped 60 yards just once over that span. Atlanta’s offense has also been held to 20 points or fewer in its current five-game losing streak and Sanu hasn’t been a great fantasy option all year. Ranked as our WR42 for Week 15, avoid Sanu when the Falcons host the Cardinals on Sunday.
Week 14 at Green Bay Packers
Mohamed Sanu caught three-of-four targets for 37 yards in the Falcons’ Week 13 loss to the Ravens. It was another ho-hum performance by Sanu, who continues to take a backseat in Atlanta’s offense, which has now been held to fewer than 20 points in four consecutive games. With the bottom falling out in Atlanta, we’d avoid Sanu and most of the Falcons’ skill position players when they head to Green Bay on Sunday. Ranked as our WR38 for Week 14, don’t play Sanu against the Packers.
