The Atlanta Falcons had to be more than a bit thrilled when former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley fell to No. 26 in the 2018 NFL Draft. Fantasy football owners who used a late-round draft pick on Ridley are likely feeling the same during his rookie season.
While it took the 23-year-old a game to get rolling, he’s been a solid addition to a superb Falcons passing attack. Julio Jones is the unquestioned leader of the bunch, but with Ridley and Mohamed Sanu behind him on the depth chart, Matt Ryan has an eye-opening number of talented targets.
Ridley had a superb three-game stretch from Week 2-4 of his rookie year in which he totaled 15 catches for 264 yards and six touchdowns. Although the team’s newest receiver has seen limited targets due to the talent on Atlanta’s offense, he’s made the most of his chances. In turn, fantasy football owners are left either consistently starting Ridley, or debating putting him in their lineup each week.
Let’s take a look at Ridley’s outlook as the 2018 season rolls along, including a few matchups which jump off the page.
Calvin Ridley’s Fantasy Football Outlook
The home stretch of the Falcons’ 2018 schedule features matchups with the following:
- Week 14: Green Bay Packers
- Week 15: Arizona Cardinals
- Week 16: Carolina Panthers
- Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Among that list, both the Panthers and Buccaneers rank in the bottom 12 of the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed per game. The other two games against the Packers and Cardinals are below-average matchups for the rookie wideout. While the former Alabama star has competition for touches, if he can consistently see 5-8 targets per game down the homestretch of 2018, he’ll be a player to target. Whether you have him on your roster or are considering trading for him, Ridley has a bright fantasy outlook moving forward. He’s also a strong daily fantasy football target on almost a weekly basis.
And as far as dynasty leagues go, if you came out of your rookie draft with Ridley, then you should be feeling pretty good currently.
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Calvin Ridley Fantasy: Outlook and Value of Falcons WR in 2018