FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 6/18/2013 11:13pm et

The Atlanta Falcons and QB Matt Ryan both would like to extend the quarterback's contract, but an agreement has not yet been reached. However, casual talks are ongoing, with the expectation that things will heat up after the July 4 holiday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Huddle Up: Ryan, who hit career highs in passing yards (4,719), TDs (32) and completion percentage (68.6) and finished 5th among fantasy QBs last season, definitely has earned an extension, and look for a deal to get done before training camp.

Posted: 5/26/2013 11:24pm et

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he would like the team to sign QB Matt Ryan to a contract extension as soon as possible. There is no timetable for when the team will get a deal done.

Huddle Up: Ryan's agent and the Falcons have plenty of recent contract numbers to work off of as Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo all received new deals this offseason. Look for something before training camp, if not within the next few weeks.

Posted: 5/2/2013 9:08pm et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan reportedly could sign a contract extension by the start of training camp. The Falcons want to retain Ryan for the long term and he wants to stay in Atlanta. The parameters are in place for a potential Ryan extension after Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco both inked new deals.

Huddle Up: In 2012, Ryan hit career highs across the board in attempts (615), completions (422), yards (4,719) and TD passes (32) and notched his first fantasy top-five QB finish (fifth with 384 points) as a result. With TE Tony Gonzalez putting off retirement, RB Steven Jackson joining the backfield and the potent WR duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White returning, the fantasy arrow -- and his bank account bottom line -- are most definitely pointing up for Ryan.

Posted: 3/28/2013 1:47pm et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan is awaiting Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' deal before agreeing to a long-term extension himself. Ryan is expected to try to slot between Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco and Rodgers, perhaps roughly $22 million per season.

Huddle Up: The QB dominoes are falling right in place for Ryan, who is coming off a career year with 4,719 yards and 32 TDs.

Posted: 2/23/2013 11:55am et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan has recovered from the separated shoulder he suffered in the NFC Championship Game, and he is now lifting weights and no longer in the rehab protocol. Ryan should be good to do everything when the offseason program begins April 12.

Huddle Up: Good news for Ryan, who can also start working on lobbying Tony Gonzalez to return for one more season.

Posted: 2/13/2013 11:54pm et

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith said QB Matt Ryan has recovered from the sprained AC joint he suffered during the NFC Championship game. Smith said Ryan started working out in the weight room this week.

Huddle Up: There was no question Ryan would be back at work in plenty of time for the 2013 season, and now you have your proof.

Posted: 1/21/2013 5:26pm et

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith said QB Matt Ryan will not need surgery on the sprained shoulder he suffered in the NFC Championship game. Smith said Ryan would have been ready to play if the team made Super Bowl XLVII but will not play in the Pro Bowl. Ryan is expected to wear a sling for around 10 days and is facing a four-week rehab for his Grade 2 AC joint sprain.

Huddle Up: One of the few legit injuries that will keep a player from participating in the Pro Bowl. Ryan should be good to go in plenty of time for the start of training camp.

Posted: 1/20/2013 10:36pm et

Updating a previous report, Atlanta Falcons WR Matt Ryan (shoulder) has been diagnosed with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game loss against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Jan. 20. Ryan will not require surgery for the injury, and the team is waiting to see if he'll still need an MRI Monday, Jan. 21.

Huddle Up: Ryan, who was injured after driving the Falcons deep into Niners territory in search of the go-ahead TD, had a strong day in defeat, throwing for a postseason franchise-record 396 yards and 3 TDs. Still, for one of the few times all season, Ryan couldn't quite come through in the clutch, and, as a result, the Falcons were shut out in the second half of the 28-24 defeat.

Posted: 1/11/2013 12:59am et

The Atlanta Falcons have a 33-6 record at home with QB Matt Ryan as their starting quarterback; statistically, however, Ryan has performed better on the road in 2012. Ryan has thrown for 2,566 yards on the road this season with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, in addition to completing 72 percent of his passes. At home, Ryan has thrown for 2,153 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions, completing 65.1 percent of his passes.

Huddle Up: The home-road split is puzzling, but moreover, Ryan and the high-flying Falcons' passing game will face perhaps their sternest test of the season in the Seahawks, who allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs during the regular season.

Posted: 12/23/2012 12:18am et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan completed 25 of his 32 pass attempts for 279 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Week 16 game against the Detroit Lions. The win locked up home-field advantage for the Falcons in the NFC playoffs.

Huddle Up: After slumping for a stretch, Ryan has 7 TD tosses, and no interceptions, over the Falcons' past 2 games -- just in time to give his fantasy owners a big postseason boost.

Posted: 12/18/2012 2:21pm et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan had no problem handling the New York Giants blitz. When New York sent five or more pass rushers, Ryan completed six of seven passes and averaged 15.1 yards per attempt. Ryan broken two of his own franchise records. He now has a team-best 4,202 passing yards this season, breaking his record set last season (4,177). He also has a record 369 completions, breaking the record he set in 2010 (357).

Huddle Up: As many projected entering the season, Ryan has made the leap into top-5 fantasy QB territory thanks to a pass-catching corps that includes 2 1,000-yard WRs and a Hall of Fame TE.

Posted: 12/8/2012 11:31pm et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan has completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,088 yards with 10 touchdowns and one interception in his last four games against the Carolina Panthers.

Huddle Up: Ryan's fantasy owners would gladly welcome a reversal of fortune after the QB has thrown for only 2 TDs while tossing 6 interceptions over the past 3 games.

Posted: 11/29/2012 3:41pm et

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan owns a 2-6 record against the New Orleans Saints and hasn't beaten them at the Georgia Dome since his rookie season in 2008. The Falcons are 31-6 at home over Ryan's career, but three of those losses were to the Saints.

Huddle Up: Fantasy-wise, it was anything but a struggle for Ryan in the Week 10 meeting with the Saints in New Orleans as the QB hit or matched season highs with 411 passing yards and three TDs. And with the Saints still ranking dead-last in terms of the most fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs, Ryan's owners are eagerly anticipating some more big numbers tonight.

Posted: 8/13/2012 7:04pm et

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said there is no question QB Matt Ryan is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, and he will only continue to get better. "In my mind there is no question he is a top-10 quarterback in this league,' Dimitroff said. "This is a team game. We all know that Matt is his harshest critic and he's always working on getting better. There is no one out there that works as hard as him or harder than he does and I know the expectations are high in this building, they are high outside, they are high from the owner as well as myself and Mike Smith and he is the kind of guy that is going to take that head on."

Huddle Up: Ryan's a top-10 fantasy QB as well. He ranked eighth among QBs last season in fantasy points (Huddle Performance scoring), a year after finishing ninth in 2010. This season, the Falcons' fifth-year signal-caller checks in at No. 8 in the Huddle's preseason QB rankings. While not as flashy and spectacular as some of his higher-ranked contemporaries, Ryan is a consistent and reliable performer.

Posted: 7/31/2012 10:49am et

Atlanta Falcons WR Kerry Meier (knee) has been turning heads early in training camp, and he appears to have a leg up for the No. 4 receiver job. He still must be a factor on special teams if he wants to secure a roster spot. 'Kerry's done a great job, he really has,' QB Matt Ryan said Monday, July 30. 'I think last year coming off the knee injury, he came back in and did a good (job) and played in some spot roles for us. I think this year his confidence is back in his leg.'

Huddle Up: Meier is a 6'2/220-lb specimen who's not known for speed but he fights like a dog for every ball. The 2010 fifth-round pick tore his ACL a few years ago and has fought hard to regain a role on this team.