Fantasy football projections, Week 14: Falcons-Rams featuring Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Kenny Britt, more

The Week 14 matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams features teams coming off of losses looking to right the ship. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Quarterback Matt Ryan has now thrown an interception in three straight games. He took a loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13, finishing with 22 completions for 297 yards and a touchdown to go with the pick. The effort caused him to finish below his projected totals for the second time in three games. He’ll be up against a pretty solid defense in Los Angeles this time around, but the difference is the Rams struggle offensively. It will only be a matter of time before the Rams get tired of being on the field and allow Ryan to capitalize with some big plays. He should play a lot better in Week 14 and even a slightly noticeable improvement in performance will get Ryan past his projections.

Unfortunately Ryan may have to do that with his No. 1 receiver at less than 100 percent. Julio Jones is currently dealing with the toe injury and while there is a chance he misses the game on Sunday, the team is optimistic he will play. Jones has played hurt nearly his entire career, so it’s nothing new to him. He still caught seven passes for 113 yards against the Chiefs last week, so it’s hard to argue that any ailment he’s suffering from is actually holding him back. Rams cornerbacks give up the seventh most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Jones is an elite fantasy option. Do the math. No. 11 will beat expectations as long as he’s able to take the field in Week 14.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt only caught two out of six targets in the team’s Week 13 loss to the New England Patriots. Fortunately for fantasy owners, he turned his two catches and to 67 yards and a touchdown. Britt has now found the end zone in back-to-back games for the first time this season. It’s hard to bet on him scoring for the third week in a row with a rookie quarterback calling the shots, but it’s not impossible. The Atlanta Falcons have been inconsistently lead but they are an offensive powerhouse. Once they get ahead in the game as expected, the Rams will have no choice but to throw the football. Britt could be a garbage-time superstar in Week 14. If the game flow scenario calls for that, he will have no problem putting his projections in the rear view mirror.

If the Falcons do indeed manage to hold Britt in check, running back Todd Gurley will take over in the ground game. The term “take over” should be taken loosely. Gurley has been held to 50 rushing yards or less in three out of his last five games. He also has failed to rush for 100 yards in any contest this season. Only one team in the NFL gives up more fantasy points to running backs than the Falcons, but if the Rams find themselves playing from behind Gurley won’t get as much action as he probably could. He hasn’t done a good job reaching his projections throughout the season and Week 14 shouldn’t be any different.