Fantasy Upside
Calvin Ridley started all three years at Alabama for the Crimson Tide before turning pro. He finished second in Alabama history in career receptions (224) and receiving touchdowns (19), and was third in receiving yards (2,781). He was regarded as one of the best route runners entering April's NFL draft and should carve out a role for himself immediately in Atlanta's dangerous offense. Thus far, his teammates and coaches have raved about his work ethic and competitiveness. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian knows Ridley from his brief time in Tuscaloosa and should be able to draw up plays for the rookie out of the slot and on the outside opposite Julio Jones.
Fantasy Downside
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Atlanta's offense and as of this writing, we don't know exactly how Ridley fits into Sarkisian's offense. Ridley will have a role, but the majority of the targets in the Falcons' passing game will be filtered to Jones. Then there's Mohamed Sanu, tight end Austin Hooper, and running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Unless there's an injury to Jones or Sanu, Ridley's potential in his rookie year will likely be capped.
2018 Bottom Line
Ridley is our No. 55 ranked WR heading into the 2018 season and he's projected to catch around 50 passes for 650 yards. That makes him a quality bench receiver that can be used as a streaming option throughout the year. The Falcons certainly didn't need a receiver but plunked him off the board in the first round when he surprisingly fell to them at pick No. 26. They're going to utilize his skill set but it's safer to view Ridley as a WR4/WR5 until we have a better understanding of how Sarkisian will employ him.
