The Atlanta Falcons are looking to find their way back into being a contender in the NFL after a disappointing season in 2018. They'll need Matt Ryan to keep producing at a high-level under center—among other things—for that to come true.
Last season, the Falcons may have had a down year in the win column but in terms of fantasy football, Ryan was reliable. In 2018, Ryan finished with 355.5 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues.
His 355.5 fantasy points were the second-most for quarterbacks in 2018—only behind Patrick Mahomes. As everyone knows, Mahomes had a historic season where he threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns.
At 33-years old in 2018, Ryan had his best season in terms of fantasy with 4,924 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider the fact that Steve Sarkisian's system never really fit the Falcons offense.
Now, in 2019, Dirk Koetter returns as the offensive coordinator after leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-2018. Before that, Koetter was the offensive coordinator for Ryan from 2012-2014 so there is some chemistry there already.
Of course, Ryan's best season came when Kyle Shanahan was his offensive coordinator in 2016. That year, Ryan threw for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Nonetheless, Ryan also had some decent seasons with Koetter calling the shots. From 2012-2014, Ryan averaged 4,642 yards, nearly 29 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions per season.
The interceptions were an issue but it seems as if Ryan has worked on his turnover issues in recent years. So what could Ryan's season look like in 2019?
Now at 34-years old, Ryan is poised for another fantastic campaign as the leader of the Falcons offense. This is one of the best receiving corps that Ryan has had in his 11 seasons in Atlanta.
First, you still have Julio Jones on the outside and is still one of the best at his position. Then, Mohamed Sanu is a solid possession receiver on the opposite side.
Finally, Calvin Ridley is a versatile threat in the offense and is one of the best young receivers in the game. With all of that talent around him, why can't Ryan repeat his success from last year, this year?
Over his entire NFL career, Ryan has come close to eclipsing 5,000 yards but has never reached the milestone. To be exact, Ryan has thrown for over 4,900 yards in two of the last three seasons.
Therefore, it's fair to expect that Ryan can throw for 4,900 yards again in 2019. If the offensive line can give him a little more time in the pocket, then Ryan could possibly surpass 5,000 yards for the first time in his career.
Touchdowns are where it is at though, especially in fantasy football. Ryan's career-high in touchdowns is 38 in 2016 and he also had 35 in 2018. As a result, Ryan should land in the range of 32 touchdowns in 2019.
The return of Devonta Freeman could allow Koetter to utilize the running game more than the Falcons did in 2018. After all, the Falcons threw it 617 times (fifth-most in NFL) and ran it just 351 times (third-least in NFL) last season.
Therefore, Ryan could very well have fewer passing touchdowns in 2019 than he did in 2018. Again, it seems like Ryan has cleaned up his turnover issues, for the most part.
With that being said, Ryan will likely throw eight interceptions in 2019 with him having to adjust to playing under Koetter again. Nonetheless, having less than 10 interceptions in today's NFL is an impressive feat.
In conclusion, Ryan's 2019 season could include him throwing for 4,900 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. This would be another statistically impressive season in Ryan's career and could make him one of the best fantasy options at the quarterback position in 2019.
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