NFL Today: Falcons in Control of NFC South
DeShaun Watson‘s future as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is more in question than ever before; the Washington Commanders upgraded their secondary by trading for cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints; and Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss‘ neck injury is worse than expected, so he’s done for the season.
Opportunity in Atlanta
With two straight wins, the Atlanta Falcons have taken control of the NFC South and sit just one win shy of a fourth straight season of seven wins. Of course, the Falcons have designs on much greater heights than that.
But first, they may need to overcome the loss of Drake London, their most targeted receiver. He suffered a hip woe early during Sunday’s win, and could be forced to miss some time if injury is as bad as believed.
If you’re seeking a receiver to benefit from London’s targets, then Ray-Ray McCloud III could be worth picking up this week. McCloud hauled in his first TD reception of the season on Sunday (see video below) and is already enjoying a career year with 305 yards receiving on just 45 targets.
If that target count rises as expected (assuming London misses time), McCloud will be in line for some very Fantasy-friendly yardage totals. No one really expected former Buffalo draft pick McCloud to take such a big step forward this year, but here we are, and there’s a ton of room for more.
Hell, he already leads the Falcons in both slot snaps and slot rate this year; not bad for a dude that didn’t seem to be a fit for any specific position when he came into the NFL. For Week 10, consider McCloud a superb WR4 option with upside as a WR3.
Rams On a Roll
The Los Angeles Rams had a promising season in 2023, winning 10 games and returning to the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl in 2021. This year, however, they lost three of their first four games and another playoff appearance looked lost.
But the Rams have rebounded in a big way, winning three straight, and are now just a half-game behind NFC West-leading Arizona heading into Week 10. And with a Monday Night Football matchup against the slumping Dolphins on tap, the Rams have a great chance to keep their roll going (they are currently 1.5-point faves as per FanDuel).
One of the keys to the Rams’ recent resurgence has been the play of ex-Chief wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.
He pulled in an incredible one-handed touchdown reception in overtime in Week Nine, one of two TD catches on the day for his second straight two-TD game. Sunday’s heroics capped his finest game of the season, as he pulled in six receptions on nine targets for 94 yards. In less than half a season, Robinson has already set a career high with five scores (all in the last four games), and has the best YPR (15.6) of his career.
The issue here is whether he’s capable of coming close to this kind of game again with Puka Nacua not getting ejected like he did last week and Jordan Whittington (shoulder) returning.
Consider Robinson a low-end WR4 for Week 10.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
American singer James Taylor has won six Grammy Awards over his long and illustrious career. In 1976, he released his first best-of collection, Greatest Hits, which led off with a re-recording of “Something in the Way She Moves,” a song originally on his 1969 debut, eponymous effort.
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