Atlanta vs. San Francisco – The Deion Sanders Bowl! Sanders played five seasons with the Falcons and it was definitely Hotlanta then despite having a winning record in only one of five seasons. Sanders then took his talents to San Francisco in 1994, earning Defensive Player of the Year and helping the 49ers win a chip.
This iteration of the Atlanta Falcons has shown flashes of brilliance, simmering up the Atlanta area, but inconsistencies have plagued them. In Week 3, the Carolina Panthers skunked them, 30-0. Three weeks later, Atlanta defeated the Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills, 24-14. Youth is probably a big reason: Michael Penix Jr. is 25, Bijan Robinson is 23, Drake London is 24 and Kyle Pitts is 25.
The Falcons’ pass defense, much maligned and the focus of high draft capital infusions, is now one of the better units in the league. The EPA per dropback is sixth-best and the 57.7% completion percentage is second-lowest while racking up five interceptions and 14 sacks. The run defense hasn’t been as prolific, allowing 4.8 yards per carry and the 10th-highest EPA per carry. Only two rushing touchdowns have been allowed, though.
San Francisco entered the season as a Super Bowl contender, but injuries on both sides of the ball have squashed much of the optimism. After being in the top eight prior to the season, DraftKings Sportsbook now has the 49ers at +2500 to win it all, the 13th-lowest odds.
Brock Purdy is out once again, but Mac Jones has performed admirably in his absence and gets the nod once again. George Kittle will return after missing the last five games, providing a huge boost for the offense.
The defense, though, is in shambles. After losing pass rusher Nick Bosa earlier in the season, star linebacker Fred Warner was lost for the season last week. The pass defense has allowed the 10th-highest EPA per dropback and has yet to notch an interception with only seven sacks.
Below are the values that could hopefully help take you to the promised land.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1.11M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (ATL @ SF)
RB Tyler Allgeier – Atlanta Falcons ($5,200)
Allgeier only plays 30% of the snaps because that Bijan Robinson guy is pretty amazing. Despite that, Allgeier still received a target and three red zone opportunites last week. He’s scored three touchdowns on the season resulting in three games with double-digit FPTS.
TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons ($5,800)
Last week, Pitts garnered four targets, which ended up being third on the team behind the eight for Robinson and 16 for London. With Darnell Mooney set to return, that should open up the belly of the 49ers defense. San Francisco has historically been tough against tight ends because of Warner, but he’s done for the season so the matchup likely won’t be as daunting.
TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers ($7,400)
Kittle is a matchup nightmare when healthy, and all indications point to him being healthy. There is some unknown as to what his chemistry with Jones will be, but Jones sent 11 and seven passes Jake Tonges’ way the last two weeks. There’s also the big red IR tag next to his name, so those factors could hopefully, maybe, probably not but I can hope, lower the ownership for Kittle.
