The Atlanta Falcons have actually been relatively productive for fantasy owners in recent weeks. That trend could easily continue in Week 11 as they face a Panthers defense that ranks No. 25 in yards allowed per game.
Despite a great matchup against the Buccaneers, Matt Ryan was only able to pass for 219 yards and one touchdown. The rest of the offense put up solid fantasy numbers, but Ryan disappointed here. What's the outlook for this weekend?
Matt Ryan
Here are his weekly finishes among QBs over his last four games: 21, 23, 16, 10. That's not exactly an encouraging sign. Baltimore and Detroit were tough matchups, but most people expected better numbers from Ryan against Chicago and Tampa Bay.
The good news? The Panthers are even worse than the Buccaneers in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. They've given up 19 touchdowns and forced nine interceptions so far. Quarterbacks are averaging 269.2 yards per game against Carolina. Mark Sanchez just put up 332 yards and two touchdowns on Monday night.
If you can't start Ryan against this defense, I'm not really sure when you'll be able to use him. I'm rolling with Ryan again this week and hoping for at least two touchdowns. He costs $7,700 on FanDuel, which is actually cheaper than Kyle Orton, Andy Dalton and Ryan Tannehill. I think Ryan has decent value with this matchup for daily players.
Steven Jackson
Back-to-back weeks with 60-plus yards and a touchdown? Who is this guy? Jackson averaged 5.1 yards per carry against the Bucs, That's the highest mark he's posted in single game since Week 1 of 2013.
Guess who gives up more fantasy points to running backs than Tampa? You're right, it's Carolina. The Panthers shut down the Eagles running game in Week 10, but overall in 2014 they're allowing the sixth-most points per game to running backs.
Jackson is worthy of your RB2 or flex spot for Week 11, but I would look to sell high on him if he puts up another solid week. His $6,700 price on FanDuel is also a solid value, but he's No. 16 among running backs in price. You can probably find better deals.
Julio Jones and Roddy White
Thomas DeCoud plays in the Panthers secondary, so I'm expecting seven touchdowns combined from Jones and White. In all seriousness, wide receivers have caught 131 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns against Carolina so far. That means we're looking at yet another great matchup for these two.
Jones finally looked more like himself with eight receptions for 119 yards in Week 10. White only saw saw six targets in each of his last two games, but he's been finding the end zone more often. It's easy to start both of these receivers as your normally would against the Panthers defense.
Jones' price is on the rise again on FanDuel. Still, $8,200 looks good for him. I'll be playing White at $6,800 in several lineups.
Levine Toilolo
Maybe next year.
Falcons D/ST
The Panthers are averaging just over 14 points per game over their last four matchups. While the Falcons defense is certainly not one of the most appealing options, I actually think there's some sneaky value here. If you're really struggling to find a defense to start, Atlanta might be worth a shot.
Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-week $300,000 Fantasy Football League for Week 11. Check it out.