Nobody cares about preseason, right? Guys can put up incredible numbers and most people will dismiss those performances. That shouldn't always be true, though. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan may be one worthy of your attention.
Should fantasy football owners buy Matt Ryan’s impressive preseason?
Matt Ryan tore it up this preseason. Should fantasy football owners have confidence in him as a mid-level QB1?
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Ryan put up a magnificent passer rating of 147.9 in his three preseason games, completing 13 of 18 passes for 210 yards and two scores. He had a first down on 10 of those attempts and looked great in the process.
The Falcons made a shift to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who may try to work on the running game more. The Falcons not having a running game in the last two years led to Ryan being sacked 75 times in those two seasons. He should get some better protection with less pressure, and second-year tackle Jake Matthews will likely grow into a better protector of his blind side.
Of course, the most obvious plus is that he has receiver Julio Jones, who just agreed to a five-year, $71.25 million extension. Jones is 26 years old and Shanahan will make Jones the focal point.
Ryan is currently coming off the board as the seventh quarterback in fantasy drafts. He tends to go almost 1.5 rounds later than guys like Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger. Ryan isn't exactly a must-get guy, but there's certainly enough upside to pick him up after you fill out your starting running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.
