FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

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Prediction: Prediction: PHI 20, ATL 24

Players to Watch: Julio Jones, Michael Turner

This will be a much watched and important game. The Eagles remain on the road after dispatching the Rams with little trouble but now head to the home of the NFC South division winner. This game would have favored the Falcons before they opted to be waxed in Chicago. This is also the big homecoming for Michael Vick. This game should answer a lot of questions about both teams.

Philly won 31-17 when the Falcons visited last season.

QUARTERBACK: Hard to believe but it has been five years since Michael Vick was the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons and Warrick Dunn was his running back. That storyline will be overplayed but it will not have a lot of meaning to the players. Vick started his 2011 season with only 187 passing yards and two scores but ran ten times for 98 yards in a throwback to "Old Vick". Back on the carpet of the Georgia Dome, he'll probably want to play as well as he can for old times sake but it should have no major bearing on the outcome.

This matchup was one of the few games that had Kevin Kolb as the starter last year. He passed for 326 yards and three scores.

The Bears passed for 312 yards and two scores on the Falcons in week one but that is not likely to happen this week. The Falcons rarely lose a home game (7-1 and 6-2 the last two seasons). Expect a good game from Vick with rushing yardage on that fast carpet.

RUNNING BACKS: LeSean McCoy had a blast in St. Louis when he rushed for 122 yards and a score on only 15 carries and added a second score during his two receptions. You can stop worrying about Ronnie Brown too since he had four runs and gained only seven yards. McCoy remains the heavy-use, multi-dimensional back in this offense.

McCoy rushed for 64 yards on 21 carries and added 21 yards on four catches.

Atlanta plays tougher at home where they only allowed two touchdowns to a visiting running back all year and kept all but one runner under 70 rushing yards. Expect a lesser showing from McCoy this week but he is still a must-start thanks to those receptions.

WIDE RECEIVERS: DeSean Jackson opened the season with a bang when he reeled in six passes for 102 yards and a score in St. Louis. Steve Smith dressed for the game but did not play and will not be projected for until he shows up on the field. Jeremy Maclin was disappointing when his first game out since his illness this spring only managed one catch for 20 yards. The Eagles ran with ease last week other than a few strikes to Jackson. The receivers will need to be a bigger factor this week.

Jackson only had one catch for 34 yards against the Falcons last season but scored a touchdown. Jeremy Maclin had a monster game with seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns. It is too early to expect Maclin to bounce back that big though he should improve with each week. Jackson is still the safest play in this group that should find a way to score at least once.

TIGHT ENDS: Brent Celek only had one catch for 13 yards and is now wondering how he can transfer to Arizona and play with Kevin Kolb. Vick rarely uses him.

Pregame Notes: Tough loss to the Bears but a good message to the team - if you want to be the best, then you cannot screw around when you are in Chicago. The Bears were good at harassing Ryan and the team seemed under prepared for what they faced. This week is a chance to right the ship and get back on track for a team that many expect to challenge for the Super Bowl berth. The Falcons need to win all the home games they can - and historically they almost always do.

QUARTERBACK: Matt Ryan was forced to throw 47 times in Chicago but ended with 319 yards. But he never scored and was sacked five times along with losing an interception and fumble. Ryan passed for 250 yards and two scores at Philly last year. There is the "Asomugha" factor to contend with now but the Falcons are no longer limited to just Roddy White as a receiver.

Look for a solid game by Ryan that will be supported by a good rushing effort by Michael Turner.

RUNNING BACKS: Michael Turner only had ten runs last week but gained 100 yards on them and even had three catches for 40 yards in a game that went bad too fast. Both Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling share third down duties and the split makes neither a viable fantasy option for now.

Turner only gained 45 yards on 15 carries against the Eagles in 2010.

But this is at home and don't forget - Steven Jackson ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run on his first carry against the Eagles before leaving the game with a quad injury. Even Carnell Williams gained 91 yards on 19 carries so expect a good showing here by Turner who will be relied on to control the tempo of the game.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Roddy White remains the primary receiver of course and he led the team with eight catches for 61 yards last week. But Julio Jones also caught five passes for 71 yards in his NFL debut against a very good defense. That makes an important distinction now - White is no longer the only wide out of note on the team. With Nnamdi Asomugha wandering around on the other side, it would (and was) easier when the Falcons only featured one wideout. But Jones puts a new, much needed dynamic at play. Watch Jones to see what he can offer in his first home game.

White hauled in six catches for 83 yards in Philly last time while Devery Henderson gained 99 yards on six receptions.

The Eagles do not assign Asomugha to one player or one side. So both wideouts are likely to meet up with him but at the same time - the other guy is not. It seems a risk, but consider both Jones and White as reasonable plays this week. You never sit White regardless and Jones could surprise.

TIGHT ENDS: Tony Gonzalez had a team high 72 yards last week on his five catches and while he only caught three passes for 19 yards in Philly last year, two were for touchdowns. Gonzo becomes that third receiver outside of the two cover corners.

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