This could be the year that quarterbacks Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger reach fantasy mortality.
The 39-year-old Saints passer Brees saw his touchdown production drop by 38 percent in 2017
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Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram (once Ingram returns from a four-game suspension) are to blame for the potential fall. The duo accounted for 1,852 yards rushing last season while averaging a combined 5.2 yards per carry and 20 rushing touchdowns. The Saints have become a more balanced offense, which takes the weekly volume pressure off Brees. He attempted fewer than 600 passes for the first time since 2009 with 536 in 2017.
Brees isn’t going to fall into the scrap heap, but a balanced Saints team doesn’t bode well for his fantasy outlook. Drafting Brees between the 10th and 12th round in one-quarterback leagues this year makes more sense compared to the years when he was usually one of the top three quarterbacks off the board.
In the case of Roethlisberger, time is creeping up like a safety blitz. Although Big Ben threw 28 touchdowns last season, he has been something of an overrated fantasy commodity. Last year’s 10th place finish among quarterbacks was only the second time this decade Roethlisberger ranked in the top 10. The loss of offensive coordinator Todd Haley will also work against him along with the unnerving split between his work at home and on the road.
Roethlisberger will go earlier than expected and still merits value for those who selected Antonio Brown. However, this is the year to double down with a more consistent passer who can be plugged into the lineup when the Steelers are on the road.
NEW COLORS, SAME KING
Don’t expect the production from LeBron James to dip now that he’s donning a Lakers uniform. James finished sixth among all players in fantasy hoops this past season and will continue to maintain that pace. He also finished sixth in usage percentage at 31.6 percent, marking the 13th straight season he has been above 30 percent.
The pieces aren’t all together (yet), so there’s no clear winner when it comes to which Lakers player benefits most from James’ arrival
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THE KID WILL BE ALRIGHT
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker was the latest elite prospect to be called up, recording his first hit and RBI during his debut last week. Look for Tucker to begin laying the foundation toward becoming a fantasy star in the next year or two. His upside compares highly with fellow rookie outfielders Ronald Acuna Jr. (Braves) and Juan Soto (Nationals), as he projects to evolve into a .320 batting average with 25-30 homers, 100 RBIs and 20-25 steals, numbers that would make him a first-round pick in any format.
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This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network, The Atlanta Falcons know they’ll have to win three consecutive road games to get a chance for Super Bowl redemption.
The Falcons already nabbed the first victory by spoiling a festive night in Los Angeles, and they seem quite confident about their chances to run the table in other people’s buildings on the way to Minneapolis.
Matt Ryan passed for 218 yards and hit Julio Jones for an 8-yard touchdown with 5:48 to play, and the defending NFC champion Falcons advanced from the wild-card round with a 26-13 victory over the upstart Rams on Saturday night.
Devonta Freeman rushed for an early score and Matt Bryant kicked four field goals for the Falcons (11-6), who dropped to the sixth seed in the conference after finishing one game out of first place in the NFC South. Atlanta went only 5-3 on the road in the regular season.
But judging from a comprehensively solid performance against the hungry Rams (11-6), that tough division race and last season’s deep playoff run prepared Atlanta for the grind necessary to win back-to-back NFC titles.
”We don’t care where we play these games, because we know it’s about us, not the crowd or the opponent
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The next place they’re headed is Philadelphia: The Falcons advanced to face the top-seeded Eagles on Jan. 13.
”Doesn’t matter where we’re going, we’re going,” Ryan said. ”And that’s the most exciting part.”
Atlanta’s journey to the Super Bowl last season ended infamously with that blown 28-3 lead against New England. In their first playoff game since, the Falcons spoiled the Rams’ first playoff game in 13 years with a methodical performance derived from hard-earned experience.
The Falcons’ defense held the NFL’s highest-scoring offense to one touchdown while muzzling Todd Gurley and harassing Jared Goff, who went 24 for 45 in his playoff debut.
Jones caught nine passes for 94 yards for Atlanta, which never trailed while winning playoff games in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. Against an opponent that had just six players on its roster with prior postseason appearances, the Falcons’ experience showed through.
”I think having gone through these situations, understanding what it’s like, the atmosphere, those kinds of things, knowing that it’s going to be tough, all those things kind of carry forward
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A raucous crowd of 74,300 packed the Coliseum on a crisp evening for the first NFL playoff game in the nation’s second-largest city since early 1994. Los Angeles went 21 years without pro football before the Rams returned last season, and the franchise emphatically ended a 13-year streak of non-winning seasons this fall with an inspiring run to the Rams’ first division title since 2003.
Robert Woods caught nine passes for 142 yards, but rookie Cooper Kupp scored the Rams’ only touchdown late in the first half. Pro Bowl kick returner Pharoh Cooper also muffed a punt and fumbled a kickoff return early, leading to 10 points for the Falcons.
LA LETDOWN
The Falcons ruined a celebratory night for the Rams, who rebounded from a rough homecoming season in 2016 with an outstanding debut year under 31-year-old Sean McVay, the youngest head coach to reach the playoffs in NFL history. A celebrity-studded crowd attended the game and watched a halftime performance from Long Beach’s own Snoop Dogg, but the Rams couldn’t come through.
”You see why the Falcons are the defending NFC champs,” McVay said. ”Certainly this is a humbling game. … This is an experience that we can learn from. But I don’t think this game was too big for our guys.”
The Rams are just 4-11 at the Coliseum since returning to LA last season.
EATING CLOCK
The Falcons dominated the game by controlling the ball for 37:35, patiently running the ball with Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The Rams’ defense simply couldn’t get off the field in the third quarter
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BAD FIELD
The Coliseum turf was noticeably slippery for both teams, and many players changed cleats at halftime to combat the conditions. The field at the venerable stadium isn’t known for being particularly bad, but new sod and January dew apparently made it more perilous than usual.
The Falcons shook it off.
”We had to be prepared for everything,” Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu said. ”We saw it wasn’t good conditions early, so we had our minds ready for it.”
GETTING GURLEY
Gurley got just 43 of his 101 yards rushing in the first three quarters, and the Falcons eliminated him from the passing game almost entirely, giving up only four receptions for 10 yards despite 10 targets of the NFL’s leader in yards from scrimmage.
”They did a great job,” Gurley said of the Atlanta defense. ”They have great players. They’re not the reigning NFC champs for no reason.”
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