Atlanta surrendered 446 yards and 28 offensive points during Sunday's 35-22 loss to Tampa Bay and will play the Saints on Thursday.

Analysis: The Falcons picked off QB Jameis Winston twice but were otherwise unable to slow down the Buccaneers through the air, as they allowed 11.2 yards per pass and didn't record a sack. Atlanta has looked better defensively since the Week 9 bye and shut down New Orleans only a couple weeks ago, but it seems ill-advised to expect a repeat performance after Sunday's game. The Saints have scored 34 points in back-to-back contests and make the Falcons D/ST a risky play in Week 13.

The Falcons allowed 347 yards and three points Week 11 against the Panthers and will play the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta entered their Week 9 bye with only four takeaways and seven sacks for the season, but over the last two games they have turned things around with four takeaways and 11 sacks. Kenjon Barner also added a punt return for a touchdown versus Carolina. The Falcons appeared to be an unstartable defensive unit only a few weeks ago, but their recent performance and the Week 12 matchup with the turnover-happy Buccaneers (25 giveaways) brings them back on the fantasy radar. The horrible first…read more

The Falcons had six sacks and gave up only nine points to the Saints in Week 11 and will play the Panthers on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta entered the game with only seven sacks all season, but it came out of the bye week swinging and limited New Orleans to only 310 yards. Unfortunately for the Falcons, one outstanding performance doesn't erase eight games of poor play, as they still rank dead last with only four takeaways -- the next closest team has seven -- and tied-28th in scoring defense (28.8). Until it shows any sort of consistency the Atlanta D/ST needs a great matchup to be worthy of fantasy consideration, and…read more

The Falcons come out of their bye week giving up 31.2 PPG and 379.5 YPG and will play the Saints on Sunday.

Analysis: The Seahawks had 27 points and 322 yards in the Week 8 win over the Falcons, but the result should have been significantly worse as Seattle went conservative on offense after taking a 24-0 lead into halftime. Atlanta has only four takeaways this season and isn't worth fantasy consideration going up against red-hot New Orleans.

The Chargers held the Packers to 11 points and 184 total yards in Week 9's win.

Analysis: The Chargers' offense dominated as well, but their defensive effort is what won them the game. The Packers were rolling with at least 27 points in five of six games leading up to this contest, and the Chargers absolutely shut them down. Now, they'll face off against the Raiders on short rest. The Raiders have picked up steam lately as well, as RB Josh Jacobs posted 120 rushing yards for his third time in four games while QB Derek Carr tossed two scores for the third time in as many weeks. The…read more

The Falcons gave up 30 offensive points and 381 yards to the Rams in Week 7 and will play the Seahawks on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta faced a Los Angeles offense that mustered only seven points last week, but QB Jared Goff was able to get back on track with his cleanest outing since Week 2. That's essentially been the story of the season defensively for the Falcons, which has surrendered 30-plus points in three straight games. Atlanta has actually fared pretty well against the run this season (3.7 YPC allowed), but there's no reason to believe it will be able to contain QB Russell Wilson, who is enjoying the best…read more

The Falcons allowed 442 yards and 34 points in the Week 6 loss to the Cardinals and will play the Rams on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta followed up its dismal Week 5 performance with another poor showing, as rookie QB Kyler Murray posted a 128.2 QB rating while throwing three TDs in Sunday's loss. The Rams are coming off an equally poor offensive outing, as QB Jared Goff managed a mere 78 passing yards in Week 6. Regardless, the Rams have too much offensive potential to give the Falcons any defensive consideration after their last two games.

The Falcons surrendered 47 points and 592 yards in Sunday's loss to the Texans and will play the Cardinals in Week 6.

Analysis: It was an absolute disaster of a performance as Atlanta forced one turnover and allowed 12.9 yards per pass to Deshaun Watson while not recording a sack. Atlanta's defense has been awful across the board in 2019, ranking bottom-three in scoring defense (30.4 PPG) and sacks (five), while being bottom-10 in total defense (378.2 YPG) and takeaways (four). The Cardinals have struggled to protect rookie QB Kyler Murray (21 sacks), but they have shown good ball security (four giveaways). Arizona has…read more

The Falcons allowed 365 yards and 24 points in Sunday's loss to the Titans and will face the Texans in Week 5.

Analysis: The overall numbers don't look terrible, but the defensive performance looks worse when you realize the Titans didn't score in the second half. Atlanta's lack of playmaking is a major issue so far, as it has only three takeaways and five sacks through four games. The Texans are susceptible to the pass rush as Deshaun Watson was sacked six times in Week 4, but the Falcons haven't shown enough defensively to warrant much trust as a fantasy option at this point.

Keanu Neal tore his left Achilles' tendon in Sunday's loss to the Colts and will miss the remainder of the 2019 season.

Analysis: The Falcons' defense stumbled a bit against the Colts in Week 3, giving up 379 total yards after yielding just 555 yards to the Vikings and Eagles combined in the season's first two games. Atlanta will take on a Tennessee offense Sunday that averaged 307.3 yards per game through the first three contests, the sixth-smallest average in the league. The Titans have yet to accrue more than 340 total yards in a game and scored just 24 points in the two games following their Week 1 blowout win over…read more

The Falcons recorded three turnovers and three sacks in their Week 2 win over the Eagles and are set to face the Colts on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta only gave up 237 total yards in last Sunday's contest to a beaten-and-battered Eagles offense. Even though the Falcons' defense has given up 48 points through two contests, they've yielded just 555 total yards so far this season, good for third-best in the league. One area where the Falcons' defense can struggle, however, is stopping the run. They allowed the Vikings to rush for 172 yards on 32 carries (5.3 YPC) in Week 1 and will face a Colts team Sunday whose 370 collective rushing…read more

The Falcons surrendered 172 rushing yards in Week 1 and will face the Eagles on Sunday.

Analysis: Atlanta ended up allowing only 269 total yards as the Vikings began bleeding the clock early after building a 21-0 lead heading into halftime. The Falcons managed zero takeaways and only one sack as Minnesota had only 10 pass attempts, as three giveaways from the offense led to a pair of short-field TD drives. The Eagles struggled during the first half of the season opener but came alive for 25 second-half points, and their diverse offense make the Falcons a middling fantasy option in Week 2.

LB Deion Jones (foot) did not play in the preseason but could be ready for Sunday's season opener against the Vikings.

Analysis: Jones and safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen played a combined 10 games last season, dooming the defensive campaign from the start. They'll start the season against a Vikings team that features quality weapons on the outside in WRs Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, as well as in the backfield with RB Dalvin Cook. The question mark is QB Kirk Cousins, as his first year in Minnesota resulted in an offense ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring and yardage. The Falcons should certainly…read more

Deion Jones (foot) began training camp as a limited participant and may not be available for Thursday's preseason opener against the Broncos.

Analysis: The Falcons had numerous injuries help derail their defensive campaign in 2018, with Jones' 10-game absence playing a sizable role. Atlanta finished 2018 ranked 28th in total defense (384.5 YPG) and 25th in scoring defense (26.4 PPG), leading head coach Dan Quinn to take over the reins as the defensive coordinator. While QB Joe Flacco won't be making his Broncos debut, the Falcons will be taking on an offense that ranked 19th overall (350.1 YPG) and 24th in scoring (20.6 PPG) last season.

The Falcons have forced seven turnovers over the last two games. They play the Buccaneers in Week 17.

Analysis: No team turns the ball over more than the Bucs, who have coughed it up 34 times (25 interceptions, nine fumbles). However, they've shaped up lately with just five in the last five weeks, and they put up 29 points on the Falcons in Week 6. The Bucs will have QB Jameis Winston under center, and he's looked formidable lately, completing 60.3 percent of his passes and averaging 238.1 yards per game in that five-game span while occasionally racking up yards with his legs. The recent success of the…read more

The Falcons have held five straight opponents under 200 passing yards. They play the Panthers in Week 16.

Analysis: The Falcons' success against the pass has come against capable teams, but Panthers QB Cam Newton racked up 335 passing yards and another 42 on the ground in their Week 3 meeting. Newton will be shuttered for the final two weeks with a shoulder injury, opening the door for backup Taylor Heinicke to run the offense in Week 16. With an unproven option under center, expect the Panthers to lean heavily on RB Christian McCaffrey, who has eclipsed 100 scrimmage yards in seven straight outings. The…read more

The Falcons rank 29th in the league with 11 turnovers. They play the Cardinals in Week 15.

Analysis: The Cardinals offense has been lethargic with rookie Josh Rosen under center, ranking last in the league with 13.7 points per game and turning the ball over 23 times in 13 games. Their offensive power hasn't turned up lately, but they have a better grasp on the ball with just two turnovers in the last three contests. The Falcons struggle to take the ball away, so they may not have an easy time reversing the trend. Nevertheless, the floor is solid as they'll likely be able to hold the Cardinals…read more

The Falcons have held their last three opponents below 200 passing yards. They play the Packers in Week 14.

Analysis: The Packers are playing with house money at this point with slim playoff chances and an interim head coach. They haven't performed when it matters, but the Falcons are in line to be the first-ever target of Aaron Rodgers without Mike McCarthy. It's impossible to tell what's in store, but the playbook should be aggressive at home. That's not to mention RB Aaron Jones, who is having a breakout campaign and will feast on the Falcons 27th-ranked run defense. The Falcons have little upside with just…read more

The Falcons have allowed over 130 rushing yards in each of the last three games. They play the Ravens in Week 13.

Analysis: The Ravens have a new toy in RB Gus Edwards, who appeared out of nowhere and surpassed 115 rushing yards in each of the last two games. The Falcons don't look well-equipped to handle him and add run-happy QB Lamar Jackson to the mix and it's a troubling combination. Jackson has been able to do damage in the air against soft secondaries the last two weeks, and the Falcons' injured bunch will be vulnerable to the same collapse. The rookie signal caller has thrown three picks in the last two…read more

The Falcons rank 29th in the league with 284.1 passing yards allowed per game. They play the Saints in Week 12.

Analysis: Some may have been willing to give the Atlanta defense a spin after it held the Redskins to just 14 points three weeks ago, but there's no sensible way this unit is viable in fantasy versus the Saints, who torched them for 43 points in Week 3. That only proved to be a sign of what was to come, as Saints have scored 45 or more points in each of their last three outings. They shown no mercy, either, going for it on fourth down and throwing deep in Week 11 despite a comfortable 30-point lead…read more

The Falcons defense has produced one turnover per game this year. They play the Cowboys in Week 11.

Analysis: The Dallas offense has been unpredictable on a week-to-week basis, as they got shut down by the Titans earlier this month but racked up 27 points to beat the Eagles in Week 10. They've been smart with the ball, averaging just 1.1 turnovers per contest, but QB Dak Prescott has been dropped a whopping 32 times. Atlanta's pass rush isn't one to fear -- 17 sacks in nine games -- and they've shown an inability to get off the field with opponents converting on 51.9 percent of third downs. The Falcons…read more