The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a spectacular season as they finished the regular season 12-4 and as NFC South champions. They dominated in the playoffs going all the wad to the Super Bowl. They dominated the first half but came up short in the second half and blew a 25 point lead and lost to the New England Patriots. The Falcons are a young team and have a lot of talent. Below is the Atlanta Falcons 2016 fantasy football recap.
Atlanta Falcons 2016 Fantasy Football Recap
Quarterback
Quarterback Matt Ryan had the best season of his career finishing as the NFL MVP. He passed for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He finished as the second ranked quarterback in fantasy this season with 334 fantasy points. Ryan averaged almost 21 fantasy points per game and was also one of the best draft bargains in 2016. One of the things that could effect Ryan’s production next season in the departure of his offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. With all the depth at quarterback Ryan could last until the middle rounds in next year’s drafts.
Running Backs
The Falcons have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. The leading back for the Falcons was Devonta Freeman 1,540 total yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game and finished with 216 fantasy points. Freeman finished as the seventh-ranked running back in fantasy. He has finished in the top ten in back to back seasons. He is worth a late first or early second round pick next year drafts.
The second half of the back field in Atlanta is sophomore Tevin Coleman. Who finished the season with 941 total yards and 11 touchdowns. He totaled 148 fantasy points and averaged nine fantasy points per game. Coleman finished as the 16th ranked running back in fantasy. He did miss three games due to injury, he has dealt with injuries in throughout his early career. Coleman is a solid running back two/ high-end flex next season. Coleman is worth a middle-round pick in drafts next season.
Wide Receivers
The leading receiver for the Falcons was superstar Julio Jones 1,409 yards and six touchdowns. He finished with 170 fantasy points and averaged 12 fantasy points per game this past season. He finished as the sixth-ranked wide receiver in fantasy, he did miss two games with a foot injury. Jones has dealt with injuries throughout his career but he is one of the toughest guys in the NFL. He is one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL and is worth a first round pick in drafts next season.
The next leading wide receiver for the Falcons was Mohamed Sanu who the Falcons signed in the off-season. He finished with 653 yards and four touchdowns. Sanu only had 83 fantasy points averaging five points per game. He was very inconsistent throughout the season. Sanu is worth a late-round flier in drafts next season.
The Falcons landed one of the most explosive players last off-season in Taylor Gabriel thanks to the Cleveland Browns cutting him. Seriously he went from being cut by the Browns to one of the key playmakers for a Super Bowl team. He finished the season with 630 total yards and seven touchdowns. Gabriel finished with 98 fantasy points averaging six points per game. In week eight through fifteen, he averaged 12 points per game. He is worth a middle to later rounds pick in next year’s drafts.
Tight End
The Falcons used multiple tight ends in Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, and Levine Toilolo. Each of there tight ends had around 250 yards and three touchdowns. With all the mouths to feed in Atlanta, they are risky picks next season.
Kicker
The Falcons have one of the best kickers in the NFL in Matt Bryant. He finished as the number one kicker in fantasy. Bryant averaged 11 points per game for a total of 176 fantasy points. He made 34 of 37 field goals and made 56 extra points. Bryant is one of the best kickers in fantasy football and is worth a late-round pick in drafts next season.
Defense
The Falcons defense has been one of the defenses that fantasy owners looked forward to going up against. 2016 was not much different as they totaled 88 fantasy points and five and a half fantasy points per game. The Falcons defense started to put things together late in the season and in the playoffs. They are a defense to keep an eye on for next season and are worth a late round flier pick in drafts.
The Atlanta Falcons had a solid 2016 season and were in on of the best Super Bowls of all time. If their offense can continue to produce like they did in 2016 they should have a chance to win the NFC South and make a run at the playoffs. The Falcons have some of the best-skilled players in the NFL and should produce solid fantasy points for fantasy owners next season.
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