Atlanta Falcons Defense Worth Starting Against The Philadelphia Eagles?
Atlanta Falcons Defense Worth Starting Against The Philadelphia Eagles?
If you look at the bulk of the season, there is no way anyone in their right mind would think the Atlanta Falcons can beat the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. But they will go into Saturday’s Divisional Round game as a No. 6 seed, the road team, and the favorite.
Crazy, right? But that is what happens when you lose your MVP-candidate quarterback to an injury and are left with a guy that was good back in 2013. However, is that reason enough to make the Falcons defense worth starting in daily fantasy league?
There are good reasons to answer that question with ‘no.’
Atlanta’s defense has improved from last season and has even gotten better as the season has gone on. They held the highest scoring offense in the NFL to just 13 points last week. But as a fantasy defense, they’ve been less than impressive.
In ESPN leagues, they had four weeks where they recorded double-digit point totals including the regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers (13 points). But prior to that they had scored 14 total point the previous five weeks.
While they did play well against the Rams, they didn’t do much to earn fantasy points. The turnovers were on special teams and can be attributed more to the Rams return men than the Falcons coverage team. Goff was not picked off, but he was sacked three times.
All in all, it was a great day for Falcons fans. But it was not so great for daily fantasy players.
There are, however, also reasons to say yes.
Nick Foles looked good against a New York Giants defense that barely showed up to play. Against the Raiders, the Eagles offense was not good, and it looked terrible against Dallas when he played as well. He has only been intercepted twice. But he has put the ball on the ground once in all four games he has appeared in.
There is a good chance that he will at least put the ball on the ground if not throw an interception. With the exception of the 34 points against the Giants, the Eagles have struggled to put points on the board with him behind center.
Sounds like there could be potential for shutout. Does that mean they are a must-start? Not exactly.
There is just one problem.
The Falcons do not have a very opportunistic defense. They finished the season with only 16 turnovers, eight fumbles and eight interceptions. Foles may put the ball on the ground, but that doesn’t mean Atlanta’s going to recover it.
They do not record many sacks either (24 during the regular season; three against the Rams).
So….
The Falcons don’t put up many fantasy points with their defense. This week, despite the Eagles offensive issues, they are still not a great start. You can’ trust them to take advantage of the opportunity Foles presents.
Start them as your last option.
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