The Raiders are expected to start QB Desmond Ridder vs. the Dolphins this weekend, according to The Athletic's Vic Tafur. The news is buried in an article about the general state of the Raiders -- and we haven't seen it reported anywhere else. But we'll go with it for now.
The Raiders fired OC Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg, and QBs coach Rich Scangarello, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Vegas ranks 29th in yards per game, 29th in yards per play, and 26th in points per game through Week 9. Getsy has never brought much to the table as a play caller, but personnel is a bigger issue for the Raiders.
The Falcons acquired WR Rondale Moore from the Cardinals in exchange for QB Desmond Ridder. Moore is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign, mustering just 40 catches for 352 yards and one TD over 17 games. He struggled with injuries over his first two NFL seasons but averaged 4.3 catches and 39 yards per game. Still only 23, Moore has a chance to rebound with the Falcons. But he was a low average-target-depth player in college and has remained so as a pro, so he needs significant volume to deliver in fantasy. That'll be tough to find in Atlanta alongside WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson. The Falcons also added WR Darnell Mooney to the pass-catching corps in free agency. It's a solid group for QB Kirk Cousins. Ridder, meanwhile, will be no threat to QB Kyler Murray in Arizona. Ridder is only worth rostering in deeper superflex dynasty leagues.
Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke (ankle) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Saints. That puts QB Desmond Ridder back under center for a game Atlanta needs to win to have a shot at a playoff berth. Ridder, of course, would be a weak fantasy play.
Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke (ankle) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Saints. QB Desmond Ridder will be back under center if Heinicke can’t go. It’s not a situation to mess with in Week 18 fantasy lineups.
Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke hurt his left ankle in the Week 17 loss to the Bears and is uncertain for this weekend's game vs. the Saints, HC Arthur Smith said Monday. The team hopes to know whether Heinicke can play by Friday. If not, it'll be back to QB Desmond Ridder. This is not a situation you should be messing with in Week 18 fantasy lioneups.
The Falcons will bench QB Desmond Ridder for the second time this season, The Athletic reports. Ridder mustered just 152 passing yards with one TD and one INT in the Week 15 loss to the Panthers. He's at 10 TDs vs. 10 INTs for the season and ranks 32nd among 33 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. This figures to be the end of Ridder's tenure in Atlanta. We'll see where he lands in 2024, but it's likely to be as a backup. QB Taylor Heinicke will take back over for the Falcons vs. the Colts this weekend. He's made three appearances this season, registering a 55.4% completion rate and 6.7 yards per attempt. Those marks are both worse than Ridder's this season.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Monday that he plans to go with QB Desmond Ridder as the starter the rest of the season, according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein. That aligns with reports on Smith's plans from before he announced the switch back at QB. Neither Atlanta QB has played well for a meaningful stretch this season. So this situation likely doesn't mean a lot for fantasy impact. We'll see whether Falcons coaches succeeded in correcting Ridder's pitfalls while he was out of the lineup.
The Falcons will start QB Desmond Ridder vs. the Saints in Week 12, according to NFL Network. QB Taylor Heinicke didn't prove to be an upgrade over the last three games, completing just 55% of his passes at 6.7 yards per attempt. So Atlanta will go back to Ridder, who's registered a 65% completion rate and 7.1 yards per attempt this season. "The Falcons believed the bulk of Ridder's mistakes were correctable & felt he had a lot of learning to do," NFL Network's James Palmer tweeted. "A move back to him was always planned unless Taylor Heinicke went on a ridiculous run. It wasn't like they fell out of love with Ridder. Needed a reset." Ridder sat 18th among QBs in fantasy points through Week 7 and will return as a mid-range QB2. The Falcons have the ninth-toughest remaining QB schedule, although there are positive matchups vs. the Colts and Bears in Weeks 16 and 17.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Monday that he'll wait until after the Week 11 bye to name a starting QB going forward. QB Taylor Heinicke struggled in the loss to the Cardinals before exiting early in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. QB Desmond Ridder went four of six for 39 yards and scored a nine-yard rushing TD over the final 14 minutes. Smith praised Ridder's play in his Monday press conference, so our guess is that he'll be back under center come Week 12. But we'll let you know what Smith makes an announcement next week.
Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Cardinals. He's remained on the sidelines but doesn't have his helmet. Heinicke is officially questionable to return but seems unlikely to do so. He's been replaced by QB Desmond Ridder.
Update: Heinicke has been ruled out.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith announced Monday that QB Taylor Heinicke will start again Sunday against Arizona. It's not a surprise. Heinicke played just OK in the Week 9 loss to the Vikings, completing 55.2% of his passes for 268 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. His lone score came on a short throw that TE Jonnu Smith took 60 yards for the TD. Heinicke looks interesting for Week 10, though, if you need a streaming QB. He'll face a Cardinals defense that has been sixth most friendly to QB scoring by our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Arizona also ranks just 31st in pass-defense DVOA. Check back Tuesday afternoon (and beyond) to see where Heinicke settles in our Week 10 QB rankings. QB Desmond Ridder does remain stashable in superflex leagues -- if you can afford the spot. Heinicke's no lock to keep the job the rest of the way if his coach is announcing the starter one week at a time.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith announced Wednesday that QB Taylor Heinicke will start Sunday against the Vikings. It's not a shocking move after the team pulled QB Desmond Ridder from the Week 8 loss to the Titans. Ridder has largely struggled outside of a 329-yard passing effort in the Week 5 win over Houston. Since that game, he has tossed just 2 TD passes vs. 3 INTs across three contests, while also taking a sack on nearly 10% of dropbacks and losing 4 fumbles. Heinicke went an OK 12-of-21 (57.1%) for 175 yards (8.3 per attempt) after taking over against Tennessee. His 9.7 average target depth in that contest -- according to Pro Football Refernce -- was about 2 yards deeper than Ridder's season rate of 7.8. Pro Football Focus credits Heinicke with a career 8.8-yard average depth of target and 9.2-yard aDOT with the Commanders last season. Heinicke's career 63.7% completion rate comes in short of Ridder's (64.8%), and we've seen enough to know he won't bring consistent efficiency. But a daring downfield thrower could boost the fantasy production of Falcons WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts ... if Arthur Smith will allow the offense to exploit those skills. (And assuming London's groin injury doesn't linger, of course.) We're not significantly upgrading our outlooks for any Falcons offensive pieces on this switch. But a move away from Ridder at least allows for some optimism. We'll see whether London's able to play this week -- and then how Heinicke fares in his first Atlanta start. The Minnesota matchup looks fairly neutral for Falcons passing.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said after Sunday's loss to the Titans that QB Desmond Ridder wasn't removed from the game for "performance issues." It's unclear exactly what that means. Ridder was reportedly evaluated for a concussion but was cleared to return. No other injury was announced. “We've got a lot of confidence in Des," Smith added. We'll keep an eye on the situation this coming week. QB Taylor Heinicke played well in the second half today, completing 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards, one TDs, and 0 INTs.
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