Steve Mitchell USATODAY Sports
Julio Jones has been a stud in every sense of the word this season, but I would suggest lowering expectations as his Atlanta Falcons host the “make it as ugly as possible” New York Jets this week on Monday Night Football.
The Jets have one reliable cover corner in Antonio Cromartie, and I expect him to shadow Jones all over the field in an effort to make someone else beat them. With a career best streak of three consecutive 100-yard games, Jones is likely to draw the attention of the safety as well — a coverage scheme that could be difficult to beat considering that Jones is battling a nagging knee injury that has limited him in practice all week long.
Roddy White (ankle) has hauled in only 10 passes this season, and while he’s been playing more of late, the Jets will force the injured star to prove that he can beat them as opposed to assuming he’s a threat. With Dee Milner out for this game, White could be the team’s go-to player, and after last week’s explosion (12 catches for 149 yards and two scores), it is hard to imagine that Tony Gonzalez isn’t also heavily involved.
Matt Ryan has been playing well of late (at least two touchdown tosses in nine of his last 10 games), and while I expect that to continue, I’d be surprised if Jones finished this week as a top-15 wide receiver. For some reason, the former Alabama star has thrived on the road (70 percent of his career touchdowns and 64 percent of his yards are accumulated away from home), so this game being played at home theoretically serves as a disadvantage for Jones.
If you are active in weekly fantasy football, I prefer players like DeSean Jackson and Marques Colston this week.
Need fantasy advice? I’m always happy to help @unSOPable23
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