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The Week 4 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons features a strong defense vs. a well-balanced offense. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers took a defeat in Week 3 at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. We now know the Vikings are the real deal. Cam Newton is too, but he threw zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Minnesota. Even the best players in the game throw up a dud performance once in awhile. Newton should bounce back in Week 4 — Atlanta has given up more points to fantasy quarterbacks than any other team in the league. Newton should be able to find tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin with regularity inside the Georgia Dome. Even when the Falcons front line puts pressure on Newton, he’ll scramble his way to success to start October.
Between Olsen and Benjamin, it’ll be Benjamin that excels more. He’s a big, fast, physical threat down the field. Last season’s knee injury appears to be in the distant past. Minnesota held him to just one target in Week 3, but Atlanta’s defense is quite far behind the league’s elite teams. Don’t be surprised if Benjamin catches at least seven passes in the game, and finds his way back to the end zone after being shutout in Week 3.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback Matt Ryan outgunned the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees in Week 3, and fantasy owners benefited greatly. Ryan completed 20 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the game. If it weren’t for teammates Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman stealing touchdowns, Ryan may have had even more fantasy points. He needs to connect with wide receiver Julio Jones often in Week 4 in order to do that, but don’t look for Carolina to do Ryan any favors.
Jones will undoubtedly be better against the Panthers than he was against New Orleans. That’s because he only managed to catch 1 of 7 passes for 16 yards in Week 3. He’s dealing with a calf injury heading into the game against Carolina, but the good news is Jones practiced on Wednesday and he hopes to be feeling a lot like his old self in a big divisional matchup. A 100-yard performance and a touchdown is always a possibility for Jones, regardless of the matchup.