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The Atlanta Falcons got their 2021 season off to an inauspicious start, losing 32-6 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. Atlanta got things going well on the ground to open the game, with 110 yards in the first half, but could not find the end zone.
The passing attack was fairly mediocre, with Matt Ryan throwing for only 164 yards in spite of 35 pass attempts. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts were the top two targets, each getting eight looks from Ryan. Running back Mike Davis followed with six, and then Hayden Hurst had four.
Fantasy Football analysis: Falcons WR Calvin Ridley
Ridley is going to face competition from Pitts for targets, but those two stand out ahead of the rest of the pack in the passing game. Russell Gage had only two targets in Week 1, and he was the only other traditional wide receiver to get a look. The closest would be Cordarrelle Patterson, who is a running back at this point in his career.
This week, Atlanta travels to Tampa Bay to face a Bucs squad that held off Dallas but also gave up 403 yards to Dak Prescott. The Falcons are unlikely to have nearly as much success as Dallas in any phase of the game. There is some upside based on last week’s performance, but I don’t think anybody would be surprised to see a better defensive showing by the Bucs.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Calvin Ridley remains a must-start. He’s a WR1 and has a chance at a boost in numbers this week after a decent PPR day and a meh standard day in Week 1.