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The Atlanta Falcons season has driven fantasy football owners crazy so far. After going 13-3 in 2012, there were high hopes for the Falcons going into 2013. After all, the offense produced a top five quarterback in Matt Ryan, two wide receivers in the top 10-15 in Julio Jones and Roddy White along with Tony Gonzalez, who finished 2012 third in tight end scoring.
But during the preseason, White tweaked his ankle. Then Jones was lost for the season to injury. New addition Steven Jackson also got bit by the injury bug, leaving defenses to focus on Gonzalez and limit his production. Despite all that, Harry Douglas has stepped up during the injuries to Jones and White and established himself as a legit receiving threat, with 571 receiving yards and an average of over eight fantasy points per game on the season. Those figures include 22 catches, 352 yards and a touchdown over his last three games. He is averaging 13.73 fantasy points per game in non PPR formats during that stretch and owners should consider selling high on Douglas while they can.
News from Atlanta is that White is almost back to full health, meaning that Douglas will start to lose out on a few targets. Jackson is also finally looking like he is over his injury as he was running more effectively in week nine than in week eight, and the Falcons know they need to run the ball to keep the passing lanes open.
Additionally, Atlanta has some tough matchups on the horizon, including hosting the Seattle Seahawks (who have the second best passing defense and are allowing the second fewest fantasy points to wide receivers) this week, along with Darrelle Revis and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 11. Seattle can cover Douglas with either Richard Sherman or Brandon Browner, each have a solid height advantage over Douglas. Tampa Bay will either use Revis, who is arguably the best cover corner in football, or Dashon Goldson, who is no slouch in his own right.
If there is a desperate owner out there who is in need of wide receiver help, I would try to unload Douglas before he has these two imposing matchups and White gets back to being the main receiver for Atlanta. While I still think Douglas will have a productive fantasy outing or two, I think his biggest games are behind him. White will take over the bulk of the targets soon and there are a few tough matchups prior to the trade deadline in most leagues. If you can leverage him for something that can help you win right now, I would not hesitate to pull the trigger.
As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.
Dustin Manko is an author at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustinManko, ”Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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