BIRDS OF PRAY
Loss of Ridley puts other Falcons on fantasy radar
EVER been to your favorite restaurant only for them to be out of your favorite dish? What if they are also out of your second-favorite? Where do you turn? What do you order?
Maybe you want sea bass. Nope, all out. Crab legs? Sorry, 86’d. So you have to settle for salmon or, meh, tilapia.
For the Falcons, their wide receiver buffet is down to, blech, flounder and tuna this Sunday. They will have no Calvin Ridley and no Russell Gage when they face the Jets in London.
Gage being out is no surprise, but Ridley was a late-week shocker — he didn’t make the overseas trip for an undisclosed personal matter. Not many fantasy managers have Gage on their rosters, even fewer would consider starting him, so that isn’t a big hit. But Ridley owners will have to scramble.
Though you hate to lose a top-tier talent such as Ridley, even if he hasn’t lived up to enormous expectations this season, this absence does open up other options.
First, it likely gives a boost to tight end Kyle Pitts. If you have Pitts on your roster, you have been underwhelmed. His best game was five catches for 73 yards in Week 2. He had fewer than 40 yards in two of the other three games. He has yet to score.
This could be his breakout week, out of sheer necessity. You aren’t going to find him on waivers, and executing a trade this late won’t help, since it is unlikely to process in time in most leagues to use him this week. But if you do have him, play him. Don’t let this be the week you bail — look what happened those disgruntled managers who benched Robert Woods on Thursday night.
But for those seeking immediate waiver help, look no further than Olamide Zaccheaus. He has received the most targets of Falcons wide receivers outside of Ridley, though that is still a paltry 13. Yet we would rather have that than Tajae Sharpe’s five targets.
Zaccheaus-aurus Rex also is capable of big plays. A track athlete in his youth, he has a pair of 50-plus-yard touchdowns in his three-year NFL career. With what sets up to be his best chance for a big game in his young career, he offers a gamble to plug weak WR or Flex holes, or as a cheap DFS option.
The impact of Ridley’s absence doesn’t end there, though. I know, we’ve warned you against Cordarrelle Patterson on multiple platforms, but ignore those warnings this week. It is OK to use Patterson considering the circumstances, since he likely could get additional opportunities as a running back and receiver.
Also, as much as we are eager to find a way to bench Mike Davis on our teams, this isn’t the week for that either. No Ridley could mean more checkdowns.
With Ridley 86’d, you’ll need to explore the menu and find another entree that best suits your fantasy appetite.