During the summer, the Atlanta Falcons were a presumed hotbed for fantasy football gold. Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Kyle Pitts, and a bad defense. Fast forward to Week 9 of the NFL season, and things aren’t going as originally planned. The Falcons are 3-4, Cordarrelle Patterson has been their best fantasy football asset, and Calvin Ridley has decided to step away from football for the forseeable future.
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) October 31, 2021
With Calvin Ridley gone, who steps up in his absence? The answer may surprie you.
Tajae Sharpe, Next Man Up
No, this isn’t a joke. The former 2016 5th-round pick of the Tennessee Titans is the most likely candidate to see a major boost in production.
Russell Gage has shown an inability to stay healthy this season, missing three games. Historically, he’s more of a boom or bust player given his usage anyway. For example, in Week 8 he played 68% of offensive snaps, and logged zeros across the board. The prior week he played 63% of the snaps, and logged 67 yards and a touchdown.
Olamide Zaccheaus has been active in every game this year, yet has less fantasy points than Sharpe. While an increase in Hayden Hurst’s usage is a real possibility, I think Tajae Sharpe will benefit the most from Ridley’s absence.
At 6’2″, and 194 lbs, Sharpe is the biggest receiver the Falcons have outside of Cordarrelle Patterson. Unlike Patterson, Sharpe has a more complete route tree, and can play on the outside with regularity. He has had sure hands this season, with a true catch rate of 100%. Sharpe’s also looked great when running routes; being open with relative ease (though it helps when you have as many offensive threats as the Falcons do).
In the previous two games Calvin Ridley missed, Sharpe was the Falcons’ WR1. In Week 6 against the Jets he was targeted five times, catching four passes for 53 yards. Week 8 against the Panthers, he had six targets, five catches and 58 yards. Matt Ryan trusts him on third downs and in long yardage situations, and Sharpe’s delivered.
Fantasy Football Outlook
While it’s unlikely we’ll see Ridley-like performances out of Sharpe, there’s plenty to like going forward. The Falcons have a brutal upcoming schedule, which means they could be playing from behind often. This opens the door for increased usage, and in return, more potential fantasy points.
I think Tajae Sharpe is capable of being a solid Flex-worthy option for the rest of the season. With Ridley likely out for the year, opposing team’s will start cracking down on Patterson and Pitts. Gage isn’t much more of a trustworthy fantasy option than Sharpe; lest we mention again his Tyler Lockett-esque boom or bust weeks.
There’s an incredibly high chance that Tajae Sharpe is on the waiver wire in your fantasy football league. While many managers will be looking to target Adrian Peterson and other ‘sexy’ names, Sharpe will fly under the radar. He’ll also cost you next to nothing compared to nearly any other name available right now. Meaning, you can have your cake and eat it too; putting in waiver claims on those sexy names, and one for Sharpe on the side.
Regardless, this is a hail mary worth attempting. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Maybe the Falcons could end up with two players that come out of nowhere to be fantasy relevant this season.
