Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mohamed Sanu caught all 3 of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 11 win over the Seahawks. Sanu nearly made a one-handed catch on Atlanta's first drive of the game but set the Falcons up at the goal line as Seattle's defender was flagged for pass interference on the play. Following a Desmond Trufant interception on Seattle's first drive, Sanu then made a one-handed grab in the end zone to put Atlanta up 14-0. Unfortunately, he was quiet the rest of the night.
Outside of Week 10, Sanu has scored double-digit fantasy points in every game since Week 7. He has a great matchup on Sunday when the Falcons host a Buccaneers team ranked 31st against fantasy receivers. Ranked as our No. 28 WR, Sanu is a FLEX option for Week 12.
Week 11 at Seattle Seahawks
Mohamed Sanu caught 3-of-5 passes for 29 yards in the Falcons' Week 10 win over the Cowboys. Owners who use Sanu as a weekly DFS play, given his steady production, finally took one on the chin. He wasn't heavily involved in Atlanta's passing game, as Justin Hardy and Austin Hooper caught the two touchdown passes and Julio Jones and Taylor Gabriel saw the majority of the targets. Still, Sanu had 60+ yards or a touchdown in three straight weeks prior to this dud on Sunday.
The Falcons travel to Seattle on Monday to take on a Seahawks team without cornerback Richard Sherman. Sanu should see a bump in targets this week but only ranks as our No. 33 WR for Week 11. View him as a FLEX option only.
Week 10 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Mohamed Sanu caught all 3 of his targets for 23 yards and 1 touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 9 loss to the Panthers. Sanu now has touchdowns in back-to-back games but the yardage was a concern. He did all of his damage in the first half and then disappeared in the second, much like the Falcons’ offense since the Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.
Despite the low yardage, Sanu has emerged as a trustworthy weekly fantasy option. There are two reasons to have him in your lineup this week: 1) The Cowboys rank 24th against fantasy receivers this season and 2) Julio Jones is dealing with an ankle injury. Sanu ranks as our No. 15 WR for Week 10 and is a solid WR2 for Sunday.
Week 9 at Carolina Panthers
Mohamed Sanu caught 6-of-7 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 8 win over the Jets. Sanu's touchdown proved to be the difference for the reeling Falcons, who snapped a three-game losing streak with the win. Sanu laid out with a defender in his hip pocket and wound up making a great grab in the driving rain.
Sanu has posted at least 10 points in PPR leagues in six of his seven games played this season. A solid possession receiver, Sanu has more of a role in new OC Steve Sarkisian's offense.
Ranked as our No. 18 WR for Week 9, Sanu is a solid WR3/Flex play for Sunday. The matchup isn't great (the Panthers rank eighth against fantasy receivers this season), but the veteran been consistent enough to trust as your third receiver.
Week 8 at New York Jets
Mohamed Sanu caught 6-of-10 targets for 65 yards in the Falcons' Week 7 loss to the Patriots. Despite missing the team's previous game with a hamstring injury, Sanu played a key role in the offense. As John Paulsen wrote earlier this week, Sanu is a sneaky start Sunday when the Falcons travel to East Rutherford to play the Jets.
From John: "Throwing out Week 4, where Sanu was injured in the middle of the game, he has compiled 21 catches for 225 yards and a touchdown in his other four games. A 5-catch, 50-yard day is nothing to write home about, but it can be the difference between winning and losing when there are so many teams on bye. He has a nice matchup with cornerback Buster Skrine, who mans the slot for the Jets."
Sanu ranks as our No. 28 WR for Week 8 and is a nice streaming option for fantasy owners in need of a receiver.
Week 7 at New England Patriots
Mohamed Sanu didn’t play in Week 6 due to a hamstring injury. He remained limited on Thursday, and while he could return in Week 7, Sanu won’t be a fantasy option. He ranks as our No. 45 WR for the Falcons’ matchup with the Patriots on Sunday night. Avoid him.
Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills
Mohamed Sanu caught 4-of-6 targets for 28 yards and 1 touchdown in the Falcons' Week 3 win over the Lions. His touchdown nearly didn't count, but Atlanta challenged the play and replay showed Sanu got the tip of the ball past the goal-line for the team's first touchdown of the day. Unfortunately, Sanu also committed a drop that led to Matt Ryan's third interception of the game.
Ranked as our WR35 for Week 4, view Sanu as a WR4/5 for the Falcons' matchup with the Bills on Sunday. The good news is that he's consistent, so you can consider Sanu as a cheap DFS option. That said, avoid using him in your season-long leagues.
Week 3 at Detroit Lions
Mohamed Sanu caught 5-of-6 passes for 85 yards in the Falcons' Week 2 win over the Packers. He finished behind only Julio Jones (9) in targets and caught a key first-down pass on the Falcons' clock-milking drive late in the fourth quarter. Sanu is now averaging 10.94 points in PPR leagues and 6.7 points in standard formats through two weeks.
Sanu remains a better real-life player than fantasy. He's the second option behind Jones in the passing game but his scoring opportunities are limited with so many mouths to feed in Atlanta's offense. Ranked as our WR45, view Sanu as a WR4/5 for the Falcons' matchup with the Lions on Sunday.
Week 2 vs. Green Bay Packers
Mohamed Sanu caught 6-of-8 targets for 47 yards in the Falcons’ Week 1 win over the Bears. With Chicago bracketing Julio Jones throughout the game, Sanu was able to rack up catches on short patterns. His 9 targets led the team, although we wouldn’t expect that to be a regular occurrence. With Jones, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, and Austin Hooper also in the mix, Sanu is nothing more than a WR4/5. He ranks as our WR49.
Week 1 at Chicago Bears
Mohamed Sanu had a productive first season in Atlanta, catching 59-of-81 targets for 653 yards and 4 touchdowns. He returns in 2017 with the same role as he had last year: as a complement to Julio Jones. Sanu finished as fantasy's WR58 in 2016.
The only Atlanta receiver fantasy owners should have in their lineups this week is Julio Jones. The Bears could be without cornerback Prince Amukamara on Sunday and the safety position remains a work in progress. That said, there are too many mouths to feed in this explosive offense for Sanu to receive merit as a FLEX option this week. Ranked as our No. 55 wide receiver in Week 1, avoid starting Sanu.
