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Game time update: The NFL has moved Falcons-Packers from 8:15 p.m. ET to 8:50 p.m. The league is moving Patriots-Chiefs to 7:05 p.m. on Sunday due to Covid-19 positives and thus moved the Falcons-Packers game so there is not as much overlap.
The Atlanta Falcons kicked of the 2020 NFL season by blowing two late-game leads, and they’ll face the piping hot Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Both teams pass the ball quite a bit and are dealing with significant injuries at wide receiver.
Matt Ryan was without Julio Jones in Week 3 and lost Russell Gage to a concussion. While Calvin Ridley is a stud, the Falcons’ passing production fell off a cliff with two of their top three options missing. There’s a chance Jones and Gage could return from injury in Week 4 though. If they cant’t take the field, Atlanta could struggle on offense.
Aaron Rodgers didn’t have star receiver Davante Adams in Week 3, but Allen Lazard filled in as a WR1 against the Saints. Lazard caught six passes for 146 yards and a score in a dominant performance. Rodgers also threw touchdown passes to Robert Tonyan Jr. and Marcedes Lewis. Green Bay leads the NFL in points per game (40.7) and should continue to find ways to score regardless of whether Adams is on the field in Week 4.
TV Info
Date: Monday, Oct. 5
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
Falcons: 17th vs. Pass, 17th vs. Rush
Packers: 20th vs. Pass, 27th vs. Rush
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Falcons: +7, +375
Packers: -7, -335
Total: 56.5
Injury report
Falcons
OUT: S Ricardo Allen (elbow), K Younghoe Koo (right groin), DE Takkarist McKinley (groin), S Keanu Neal (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Julio Jones (hamstring), WR Calvin Ridley (ankle)
Packers
OUT: LB Christian Kirksey (pectoral), WR Allen Lazard (core)
DOUBTFUL: TE Marcedes Lewis (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Davante Adams (hamstring), CB Jaire Alexander (hand, knee), DT Kenny Clark (groin), TE Josiah Deguara (ankle), RB Tyler Ervin (wrist), LB Rashan Gary (ankle), C Corey Linsley (groin), P J.K. Scott (illness), LB Za’Darius Smith (ankle)
Fantasy football start/sit advice
Falcons
Calvin Ridley, Wide Receiver, $7,500
Ridley has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in every game this season and is 100 percent healthy. He’ll be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense if Jones can’t go, and Ryan has had success throwing to him.
Todd Gurley, Running back, $4,800
Gurley hasn’t been great with the Falcons, but lack of depth at receiver could force Atlanta to give him more touches. Green Bay’s defense ranks 28th on DraftKings against running backs, and Gurley can be a factor on the ground and through the air.
Packers
Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, $7,100
Atlanta has given up more points than any team in the NFL and only the Seattle Seahawks have given up more passing yards than the Falcons. Green Bay’s high-powered offense runs through Rodgers, and I expect him to dominate one of the worst defenses he’ll see all year.
Aaron Jones, Running Back, $7,500
It’s unclear whether Adams is set to return, and banking on Lazard having another huge game comes with plenty of risk. Jones, on the other hand, has racked up at least 16 carries in every game this season and has 60 touches on the season. It’s hard to beat that kind of guaranteed exposure.