Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Falcons are hiring Raheem Morris to succeed Arthur Smith as HC, according to multiple reports. This will actually be Morris' second stint as Atlanta head man. He took over the interim role in 2020 after the Falcons fired Dan Quinn. Morris' Falcons went just 4-7 the rest of that season. Morris opened that year as Falcons DC after spending the previous five as assistant HC under Quinn. He also served as HC of the Buccaneers 2009-11 and DC for the Rams the past three seasons, among other coaching stops. Although Morris has spent most of his coaching seasons on defense, he did spend four of those previous Atlanta years as WRs coach -- and three of those as passing-game coordinator as well. Those 2016-19 Falcons leaned pass, especially over the final two years of that span. Ultimately, Morris' offensive staff seems likely to influence the fantasy outlooks of Falcons offensive players more than Morris will. And the biggest fantasy question in Atlanta remains: Who will be the 2024 QB? Arthur Smith's departure should be good for the work shares of players such as Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. We'll see about the moves yet to come, though.

The Falcons have ruled LB Nate Landman (knee) out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Andre Smith looks like the next guy up, but we wouldn't go looking for a down-the-roster Atlanta LB in any format at this point in the fantasy season. Atlanta also ruled out DT David Onyemata (ankle). Onyemata and Landman hold the two best Pro Football Focus run-defense grades among Falcons front-seven players this season. So their absences can only help the matchup for Bucs RB Rachaad White. CB A.J. Terrell (concussion) and CB Jeff Okudah (ankle) are questionable for the game.

Falcons DT Grady Jarrett suffered an ACL tear in Sunday's loss to the Titans, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He'll obviously miss the rest of the season and then try to return at age 31. The Jarrett injury, at least, shouldn't have much IDP impact. He had just 1.5 sacks and 9 solo tackles through eight games.

Falcons LB Troy Andersen tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Lions. He'll require surgery that will need four to six months of recovery time, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Nate Landman is expected to start in Andersen's place. It's an upside spot for tackles, but Landman doesn't bring anywhere near Andersen's speed or athleticism.

Falcons LB Troy Andersen injured his right shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Lions, and the team fears he could miss the rest of the season. That's what HC Arthur Smith indicated to reporters Monday. We'll watch for confirmation. Nate Landman is expected to take over Andersen's spot but doesn't bring nearly as much athleticism. We'll see whether Landman is in for full playing time.

Falcons LB Troy Andersen left late in Sunday's loss to the Lions after hurting his right arm or shoulder. Andersen rode the cart to the locker room and had his arm in a sling afterward. We'll watch for a specific diagnosis early in the week.

The Falcons have ruled LB Troy Andersen out for Sunday's game against the Packers. That's no surprise, given Andersen entered the concussion protocol Tuesday. We'll see about his status for Week 3. Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports that Nate Landman is expected to start in Andersen's place. There's upside to the role, but Landman is also a second-year, undrafted free agent who has played just 23 total snaps in the NFL. It's tough to know what we can expect from him Sunday.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith announced Wednesday that LB Troy Andersen has entered the concussion protocol. There was no issue reported during or directly following the game, but Smith said Andersen "didn't feel right" Tuesday. This likely means Andersen will miss Sunday's game against the Packers. We'll watch for more on his status. Tae Davis or Nate Landman could be the next guy up. Neither should be in your Week 2 lineup plans at this point.

The Falcons reached a three-year deal with EDGE Kaden Elliss worth $21.5 million, with $11 million of that guaranteed. It's a big opportunity for a guy who did nothing across his first three seasons with the Saints. Thrust into the lineup last year, the former seventh-round pick delivered seven sacks and 10 QB hits while starting 11 games. Atlanta is clearly looking to him as a full-time starter, but Elliss has plenty yet to prove. He totaled 23 tackles and 1 sack over his first three years in the NFL. Elliss also sports below-average size and speed score for his position. Perhaps something bigger lies ahead, but we're not overly excited about his fantasy prospects as of now.

The Falcons have agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal with S Jessie Bates III, according to multiple sources. Bates is coming off arguably his worst season, his fifth with Cincinnati. Bates' final two years with the Bengals were marred by contract squabbles, as he sought an extension and then played 2022 on the franchise tag. His tackles dwindled, despite no significant change to his role. And Bates matched the lowest Pro Football Focus coverage grade of his career, just two seasons after he led all safeties in overall PFF grade. Atlanta clearly believes the 26-year-old will rebound. We're betting he'll take over the role Jaylinn Hawkins played last year and start next to former second-round pick Richie Grant. The Falcons' safety roles proved nearly interchangeable in terms of where they lined up, which could mean a little more time in the box for Bates. Like Atlanta, we don't have any real long-term concern for Bates' performance. Check out where he sits in our dynasty rankings.

The Falcons and LB Rahsaan Evans are in the early stages of working out a new contract, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Evans signed for just $1.75 million on a one-year deal with Atlanta last offseason, after the Titans declined the fifth-year option on Evans' rookie contract. Evans proceeded to have easily his best pro season by production and playing time. It seems likely that he'll re-sign, which would point to Evans remaining a full-time player. Keep that in mind for dynasty IDP considerations. We're still not ready to bet on long-term success for the former first-round pick, who didn't work out across four seasons in Tennessee.

Falcons EDGE Arnold Ebiketie (forearm) is inactive for today's game against the Steelers.

Falcons rookie EDGE Arnold Ebiketie (arm) is active for today's game against the Commanders. He's a low-level IDP option but carries some sack upside in this matchup.

Falcons CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring) is active for today's game against the Bears. It'll mark his 1st action since Week 7. Terrell hasn't made it through a full game since Week 5. The Chicago matchup hasn't been great for DB scoring, so he's far from a strong IDP option.

Falcons CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears. He remained limited in practice all week after missing the past 3 games.

The Falcons have ruled CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring) out for Sunday's game against the Chargers. That helps an already-good matchup for QB Justin Herbert and his WRs.

The Falcons have ruled CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring) and S Jaylinn Hawkins (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Panthers. Already down CB Casey Hayward, the Atlanta secondary presents an even friendlier matchup to Carolina QB P.J. Walker and WR D.J. Moore.

Falcons LB Mykal Walker (groin) is off the injury report after putting in 2 full practices to close out the week. Go ahead and get him back into IDP lineups.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Browns are trading for Falcons LB Deion Jones. The veteran brings a wealth of starting experience and a big contract with him. Terms of the trade, though, point to how far his status has fallen. Cleveland is sending just a 6th-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to Atlanta for Jones and a 7th-rounder in the same draft. Atlanta has been rumored to be selling Jones since the offseason, primarily seeking to unload his contract. The Browns likely view Jones as a chance worth taking in a LB corps that lost Anthony Walker for the season and just got abused by Austin Ekeler and the Chargers. We'll see whether and how soon Jones gets a shot at significant playing time. He has yet to take the field this year following offseason shoulder surgery and an August hamstring issue.

Falcons LB Mykal Walker left Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers early in the 2nd half with a groin injury. "Right now, I'm feeling good," he said after the game, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I should be ready to play next week." Walker did add that he was headed for further testing of the injury Monday. We'll see about his status leading up to Sunday's matchup with the 49ers.