Is Matt Ryan becoming must-start option? 

November, 29, 2010
11/29/10
5:11
PM ET
The 9-2 Atlanta Falcons currently boast the best record in the NFC, and while wide receiver Roddy White and running back Michael Turner are the ones making the greatest contributions to fantasy football, certainly some credit must go to third-year passer Matt Ryan. I'm occasionally asked why I don't rank Ryan better on a week-to-week basis, especially for home games, and I generally answer that he's just not one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy football. His formidable career win-loss record at home notwithstanding, fantasy owners judge players statistically. So let's take a closer look. The question: When Matt Ryan plays at the Georgia Dome, should fantasy owners consider him a must-start?

Ryan is 19-1 in his career at the Georgia Dome after Sunday's impressive 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers; the last quarterback since 1966 to win 19 of his first 20 home starts in a career was Danny White, for the 1980-82 Dallas Cowboys. That said, Ryan's career statistics at home aren't exactly extravagant, with 29 touchdowns in those 20 games and an average of 217.9 passing yards per contest. Those rates/numbers are better this season, with 12 touchdowns in six games and 257 yards per game. If you, the savvy fantasy owner, knew you could get 250 passing yards and a few scores from your quarterback, you'd be confident in using him. Of course, Ryan has reached 250 yards and two touchdowns in only two of those six home games.


To see where among quarterbacks Eric would rank Matt Ryan from here on out, you must be an ESPN Insider.

Eric Karabell | email

ESPN.com Senior Writer
  • ESPN contributor on TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, Magazine
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Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell

Eric Karabell is an ESPN.com senior writer. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric appears several times per week on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN shows, contributes to ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine and is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2010.

Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.

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