Matt Ryan has labored through four straight losing seasons with an Atlanta Falcons team that appears set for a lengthy rebuild. That's why his trade from the Falcons to the Indianapolis Colts should be a nice change of pace for the aging veteran.
At 37 years old, Ryan's best days are probably behind him. But in a Colts offense built around star running back Jonathan Taylor, Ryan could be the perfect quarterback to help lead the Colts to wins in 2022. It's clear that the Colts team is currently built to win in a way that the Falcons are not.
But from a fantasy perspective, is Ryan's move to Indy good for him? The Colts are a run-heavy team, and they don't have a ton of targets for Ryan to hit in the passing game. Let's take a look at what the 2022 season could hold for Ryan from a fantasy perspective and see whether or not he has any value for fantasy owners.
Matt Ryan's 2022 fantasy football outlook
Ever since Ryan's MVP campaign back in 2016, he struggled to have much success with the Falcons. Individually he had solid campaigns in 2017 and 2018, but Atlanta has seen a large exodus of talent recently, and Ryan was quickly left on his own with little help on the Falcons offense.
Ryan's 2021 campaign wasn't horrible (375/560, 3968 YDS, 20 TD, 12 INT) but he needed more help on offense than Atlanta had to offer. He was so desperate for help that Cordarrelle Patterson, who had been primarily a kick-returner for most his career, became one of his top options in the passing game. Part of it is Ryan is aging, but playing in a desolate Falcons offense didn't help either.
2022 may show us just how much the age factor has played into Ryan's demise. His role in the Colts offense will be diminshed, which is probably a good thing for him at this stage of his career. A reasonable comparison would by Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans. Tannehill isn't going to have gaudy stats, as Derrick Henry will do most of the work, but when called upon, he can make throws to help his team win.
In Indianapolis, Taylor is going to be that guy. Taylor exploded onto the scene last season to cement himself as a top five running back. He's going to be the prime method of offense for the Colts. Right out of the gate, that limits Ryan's fantasy value.
When Ryan passes the ball, he isn't going to have a ton of options. Michael Pittman Jr. is a solid top wideout, but after him is gets murky. Parris Campbell figures to be behind Pittman on the depth chart, and he only had ten catches last season. 2022 second-round pick Alec Pierce is behind them, and while he has potential, he's unproven to this point.
Having Taylor as a receiving threat out of the backfield will help, but in terms of playmaking options for Ryan, Indy doesn't offer a huge increase in talent. The Colts are in a much better spot to win, but from a fantasy perspective, not much changes for Ryan.
Ryan finished last season as the 20th best quarterback in the NFL from a fantasy perspective, which is decent, but not anything that is going to lead you to a fantasy title. Ryan has largely been a serviceable quarterback over the past few seasons, with his floor established but his ceiling being quite low.
For the most part, we have known what to expect from Ryan recently. He's a solid quarterback who will go out and do his job. He's not going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league like he was in his heyday, but that's what happens when you get older.
From a fantasy perspective, though, Ryan doesn't have much to offer anymore. He's not expected to be a top 20 quarterback in 2022, and chances are he won't be. He's going to be called upon to make throws when he has to, but Taylor is going to the primary offensive option for the Colts. That is going to make Ryan unplayable for most of the season.
Ryan will go undrafted in most leagues, which isn't necessarily a surprise. He could profile as a late round backup for some, but he wouldn't really be worth it unless you are using either your last or second to last pick, and even then the logic there is questionable.
Matt Ryan will be available in most leagues to pick up to make spot starts, and chances are he will get the job done for that week. But relying on Ryan for anything more than a spot start is going to tank your fantasy team, and it would be wise to avoid him unless you absolutely need a quarterback to fill in for a week.
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