Julio Jones, Harry Douglas' Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 3

Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Julio Jones and Harry Douglas made plenty of big plays to start Thursday night's NFC South showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jones racked up eight receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown in the first half, solidifying his status as an elite, No. 1 fantasy wideout. Before Jones found the end zone, Douglas hauled in a three-yard score on the team's first possession in what turned out to be a 56-14 victory.

Those fantasy football owners who have Douglas (2.6 percent on ESPN.com) got an immediate return on a modest investment if they played him in Week 3.

Name	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Fantasy Points
Julio Jones	9	161	17.9	2	28
Harry Douglas	2	14	7.0	1	7

Jones wound up tacking on another TD in the second half to boot, bolstering his already-gaudy numbers.

Phil Savage of ESPN broke down Douglas' scoring play:

Although Falcons star wideout Roddy White is out for Thursday's game, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Douglas is still dynamic enough to be considered as a flex option moving forward.

That is, if Douglas' own injury isn't too serious. Douglas hurt his foot after logging two receptions for 14 yards, per the team's official Twitter account:

In any event, it appears Atlanta is intent on winning through the air in 2014. Entering Thursday's contest, quarterback Matt Ryan was leading the NFL in passing.

Another big-bodied target in Jones looms as a go-to option in the Falcons' passing attack, but Douglas is a crafty slot receiver whose role has been rather large to start the year.

Jones is obviously still a must-start every week as long as he's healthy. ESPN Stats & Info accentuated Jones' early prowess against the Bucs:

And that was before Jones converted a 3rd-and-17 to end the first quarter.

Coming off of a 2013 campaign in which he played just five games, all indications are that Jones is destined for a monster year. The young stud was confident before Week 1 that he'd be good to go coming back from a broken foot.

"I was down last year. I wasn't there to help my teammates," said Jones said Thursday per the Associated Press, via The Seattle Times. "I feel great, man. I feel like I’m 100 percent right now."

David Goldman/Associated Press

After receiving eight targets in each of the first two games, Douglas already found pay dirt on the first pass that flew his way in Week 3. Absent the reliance on now-retired tight end Tony Gonzalez, the outlook for Douglas is extremely positive if he returns to the lineup in the near future.

It appears Douglas is continuing to build on his career year from 2013, where he stepped up while Jones and White were banged up and had 85 receptions for 1,067 yards.

The numbers may not be as gaudy as last year, but Douglas, health permitting, will still produce enough to warrant a flex play in deeper leagues, especially when the Falcons have a favorable fantasy matchup.

Note: All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.