Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons (1-1) at New Orleans Saints (2-0)
Sunday, September 26th, 2010
1:00 p.m. EST kickoff
Current line: New Orleans by 4
The Falcons may be the only team that has a chance to catch Drew Brees and the Saints this season, but they will need to prove that they are worthy of that chatter with a big performance.
Onto the fantasy predictions...
View All of My Week 3 Fantasy Game Predictions:
- Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
- Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans
- Fantasy Football Preview Week 3: Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers
Atlanta Falcons: Passing Game
1 of 6
The 2010 season started off in disappointing fashion for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as he failed to throw a single touchdown pass in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In Week 2, however, the former third overall pick got back on track, tossing three touchdown passes as the Falcons defeated the Arizona Cardinals.
Matt Ryan has targeted wide receiver Roddy White a league-most 35 times through the first two weeks of the season, seven more than any other NFL receiver. White has responded by catching 20 of those passes, also a league best, for 189 yards and one touchdown.
Unfortunately, Ryan hasn’t had quite as much luck passing to other receivers, as the Falcons player with the next most catches on the year is backup running back Jason Snelling, with just six. On a positive note, tight end Tony Gonzalez has caught at least five passes in five consecutive games against the Saints over his career.
Ryan has 477 yards passing in two contests and has only thrown one interception, but this Sunday’s contest with the Saints is a difficult one.
In his 2009 contest against the Saints, Matt Ryan threw for an impressive 268 yards and a touchdown, but was constantly harassed by the Saints’ pass rush, forcing him to throw a career-worst three interceptions.
The Saints have allowed just two passing touchdowns so far this season while intercepting three passes.
Atlanta Falcons: Running Game
2 of 6
It has been a slow start to the season for Falcons running back Michael Turner. Battling injury, Turner has run the ball just 28 times for 115 yards and he has failed to reach the end zone.
Meanwhile, fellow Falcons running back Jason Snelling, who received 24 carries against the Cardinals in Week 2, has looked great while Michael Turner deals with injury problems. Snelling rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2, making him one of the league’s most important fantasy handcuffs.
Atlanta’s No. 4 run offense against New Orleans’ No. 19 run defense could spell trouble for the defending Super Bowl Champions, but Michael Turner’s groin injury is certainly a cause for concern for the Falcons. The best way to attack New Orleans is likely on the ground, but it is difficult to get into a rhythm offensively when the running backs aren’t fully healthy.
Michael Turner has a great history against the Saints, having rushed for 308 yards and three touchdowns in three career games as a Falcon against them. But with his groin injury having caused him to missed significant playing time in Week 2, fantasy owners would be wise to temper their fantasy expectations until he’s fully healthy.
There is a good chance that Jason Snelling gets a solid amount of playing time in Sunday’s game against the Saints, meaning that it is possible that neither Turner nor Snelling is a particularly great fantasy play.
Atlanta Falcons: Fantasy Projections
3 of 6
Matt Ryan – 230 yards passing / 1 TD / 1 INT
Michael Turner – 70 yards rushing / 1 TD
Jason Snelling – 25 yards rushing / 0 TD / 20 yards receiving
Roddy White – 90 yards receiving / 1 TD
Brian Finneran – 35 yards receiving / 0 TD
Tony Gonzalez – 50 yards receiving / 0 TD
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
New Orleans Saints: Passing Game
4 of 6
The Saints’ passing game may have struggled in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, but they got back to their dominating ways in Week 2 against a pretty good 49ers defense. Drew Brees threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in the win, bringing his season total to three, without having thrown an interception.
Since joining the Saints back in 2006, Drew Brees has punished his inter-division rivals in Atlanta, averaging 293 yards per game against them while throwing 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Top receiver Marques Colston, who has yet to get into the end zone this season, scored in each of the 2009 matchups between the Falcons and Saints.
Unfortunately for fantasy owners, quarterback Drew Brees spreads the ball around far too much to make any Saints receiver a particularly excellent play from week to week. Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, and Lance Moore all remain big question marks, having caught just a combined three passes last week.
The Falcons’ secondary has actually played surprisingly well in 2010 despite struggles that put them 28th against the pass in 2009. Having allowed 25 passing touchdowns in 2009, the Falcons have not allowed an opposing touchdown through the air yet this season.
The only problem with this statistical information is that it does not point out the fact that the quarterbacks they have faced have been the Steelers’ Dennis Dixon and the “dynamic duo” of quarterbacks in Arizona, Derek Anderson and Max Hall.
New Orleans Saints: Running Game
5 of 6
Long known as a pass-first offense since Drew Brees joined the team, the New Orleans Saints still rely heavily on their running game to keep defenses honest and help control the clock.
Running back Pierre Thomas isn’t going to set the world on fire with his statistics, but he has been a fairly productive depth running back for a few seasons now. In 2010, Thomas’ numbers sit at 117 yards rushing and a touchdown with an additional 72 yards receiving.
With Reggie Bush out for at least the next four to six weeks after an injury knocked him out of last Sunday’s game, the Saints will need Thomas to step up more than ever, both as a runner and as a receiver.
The Falcons defense is currently ranks 26th against the run and gives Pierre Thomas an opportunity to get back into fantasy lineups this week. In the two matchups these teams had in 2009, Thomas cracked 100 total yards both times and scored two total touchdowns. Add in the three touchdowns Reggie Bush scored, and you can imagine why Pierre Thomas could be in for a big day.
New Orleans Saints: Fantasy Projections
6 of 6
Drew Brees– 265 yards passing / 2 TD / 0 INT
Pierre Thomas – 60 yards rushing / 2 TD / 45 yards receiving
Marques Colston – 70 yards receiving / 1 TD
Devery Henderson – 50 yards receiving / 1 TD
Robert Meachem – 45 yards receiving / 0 TD
Jeremy Shockey – 20 yards receiving / 0 TD
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")