How to watch, what to watch for Broncos vs. Falcons in Week 9

The Denver Broncos won a thriller against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8 and will look to build momentum on the road in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, who are fresh off a victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The Broncos have actually played pretty well as of late. They’ve won three of their last four games and have only fallen to the Kansas City Chiefs since Week 4. Drew Lock hasn’t been great since returning from the shoulder injury he suffered early in the year but Denver has managed to overcome the odds despite its banged up receiving corps.

The Falcons lost in an embarrassing fashion on multiple occasions early in 2020 and their horrendous defense put tremendous pressure on the offense to perform. Atlanta has buckled down on defense in recent weeks and has managed to win two of its last three games though. Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, and Todd Gurley are tough to handle but Denver has been respectable against the run and the pass without star pass rusher Von Miller.

TV Info

Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map

Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)

Broncos: #25 Overall — #30 offense, #7 defense, #26 special teams
Falcons: #23 Overall — #23 offense, #22 defense, #18 special teams

DraftKings Sportsbook odds

Broncos: +3.5, +165
Falcons: -3.5, -190
Total: 50

Fantasy football start/sit advice

Broncos

Drew Lock, QB, $5,200

Lock threw for a season-high three touchdowns against the Chargers’ talented secondary his last time out. Atlanta’s defense ranks 23rd against quarterbacks, 26th against tight ends, and 29th against wide receivers on DraftKings. Expect Lock to air the ball out again and find success.

Noah Fant, TE, $4,600

Fant looked like one of the best fantasy options at tight end before hurting his ankle in Week 4. He thrived as Lock’s go-to guy early this season and has racked up 10 catches on 16 targets since returning from injury. His price doesn’t come close to reflecting his potential against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

Falcons

Matt Ryan, QB, $6,400

Ryan has been streaky this season but has been able to put up some impressive performances with Ridley and Jones at his disposal. He was unstoppable when throwing to Jones in Week 8 and Ridley’s recent foot injury could make the WR1 even more of a focal point.

Julio Jones, WR, $7,200

Jones caught seven of his 10 targets in Week 8 for 137 yards against a sturdy Panthers pass defense. The Broncos have a top 10 defense against running backs on DraftKings so the aerial attack seems like the better option on offense for the Falcons.