Calvin Ridley was supposed to end up with Miami. But after visiting Alabama, he couldn’t help but want to be a part of the Tide’s culture.
Calvin Ridley is considering one of the best wide receivers in Alabama history. The Coconut Creek (Fla.) native sits near the top of several career and single-season records, which includes:
Career receptions: No. 2 (224)
Single season receptions: No. 2 (89)
Career receiving yards: No. 3 (2,781)
Single season receiving yards: No. 5 (1,045)
Career receiving TDs: No. 5 (19)
Those numbers put Ridley in a pretty elite group, which includes Amari Cooper, Julio Jones and several other high-profile Alabama receivers. But it’s also strange to think that it almost didn’t happen.
The video below is from actually from an interview between Ridley and Campus Lore, and it occurred in June of 2018. But after watching the former Crimson Tide standout’s response, we had to do a story on it!
[jwplayer AIcgsldP-er0jUifI]
It’s hard to believe that the Ridley-Alabama marriage almost didn’t come to fruition, but fans have to be thrilled with how things turned out. It also speaks volumes for the Crimson Tide’s ability to recruit high-profile, especially once they are on campus.
To have a player of Ridley’s caliber — he was rated as a five-star prospect, according to the 247Sports composite rankings — willing to commit on the spot is an incredible story.
With Alabama more than likely losing a least two of its top three receivers, depending on who decides to leave early for the NFL draft between Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith, following the 2019 season, the coaching staff needs to be identifying that next elite receiver to pair with Jaylen Waddle for 2020.
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
QUARTERBACKS
MATT RYAN- $6700 DRAFTKINGS, $7900 FANDUEL
Matt Ryan strolls into Week 12 with a dream matchup vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ryan has been super consistent and is averaging 22.7 DraftKings points per game. Tampa Bay is allowing 290 passing yards per game and ranks 30th against opposing quarterbacks. There are not many favorable matchups this week so Ryan comes in as one of your safest plays in both cash games and tournaments. The ideal pairing would be with either Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley for your stack.
DREW BREES- $6600 DRAFTKINGS, $8500 FANDUEL
Drew Brees has been a little up and down due to injuries this season but a matchup with the Carolina Panther at home in the dome should change things. It looks like this offense is coming around and Alvin Kamara will be a prime receiving target to bolster this passing offense. Brees is averaging 17 points per game and should provide a safe floor for all your daily fantasy needs. For cash games, a lot of my builds will start with a Brees and Thomas stack.
RUNNING BACKS
ALVIN KAMARA- $8200 DRAFTKINGS, $8300 FANDUEL
Alvin Kamara is coming off a 22 point DraftKings showing in Week 11 where he didn’t find the endzone. He hauled in 10 receptions which is a great sign for him moving forward. Like I stated above I like attacking this Panther defense and even more so from the running back position. Carolina ranks 29th against opposing running backs and they are allowing 128 yards rushing per game. Combine that with the dual-threat presence Kamara provides and we should see him as the top-scoring running back in Week 12.
DERRICK HENRY- $6900 DRAFTKINGS, $7100 FANDUEL
Derrick Henry doesn’t get the respect he should as a fantasy player if you ask me. He is averaging 17 points per game and is coming off a 36 and 24 point performance in back to back weeks. He is now well-rested coming off a bye week and has a home matchup vs the Jaguars. Jacksonville ranks 25th against opposing running backs and allowing almost a league worse 134 yards per game on the ground. Lock in Henry as a low owned tournament play that can separate you from the pack in Week 12.
WIDE RECEIVERS
CALVIN RIDLEY- $6500 DRAFTKINGS, $6700 FANDUEL
Calvin Ridley could be called a boom or bust play due to his inconsistency but he will still be on my roster in Week 12. Ridley is averaging 14 points per game and is coming off 31 point game versus the Panthers. The Panthers are a middle-tier defense against the pass and now he gets a bump to one of the worst secondaries in the league. A matchup versus Tampa Bay is as good as it gets. Tampa Bay ranks 32nd against opposing wide receivers and is allowing 290 yards through the air. Both Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones are in line for monster games so an approach I will be taking is making lineups with each of them in one.
JAMISON CROWDER- $6200 DRAFTKINGS, $6500 FANDUEL
Jamison Crowder has been shocking the fantasy world week after week.
Crowder has scored touchdowns in 3 straight games and has been a focal point of this Jet offense. He is averaging 12 points per game over the season but those numbers are low due to injuries to his starting quarterback. Since Darnold has been back he has a 22, 19, and 18 point game in his last 3. Pair that with a matchup against Oakland who ranks 30th against opposing wide receivers and we have a nice mid-tier low owned play at wide receiver.
TIGHT ENDS
ZACH ERTZ- $6000 DRAFTKINGS, $6100 FANDUEL
Zach Ertz is one of the only receivers left for the Eagles who can actually catch the ball. The Eagles receivers are all hobbled and Ertz is the safe play to target in this matchup versus the Seahawks. Ertz gets a home game versus a Seattle secondary who ranks 26th against opposing tight ends. The Seahawks are giving up 271 passing yards through the air and have been picked on all year. Ertz should be the safest play for both cash games and tournaments and will be my highest owned tight end this week.
JARED COOK- $4500 DRAFTKINGS, $6000 FANDUEL
Similar to all the stats I placed above for Brees and Kamara, Cook comes in as a solid play due to his matchup versus Carolina. The Saints have a weak receiving core outside of Michael Thomas so Cook has been a focal point of this offense from the tight end slot. I’m not in love with Cook, so I would look to mix in some other plays or pay up for Ertz. Cook will be a low owned tournament play who can find the endzone. Darren Waller, Ryan Griffin and Vance McDonald will also be sprinkled into my tournament mix at tight end.
DEFENSES
BILLS- $3400 DRAFTKINGS, $4700 FANDUEL
The Denver Broncos surprised a bunch of people by putting up points versus the Vikings in Week 11, but I think that was more of a fluke game. Now they travel to Buffalo and have to face the Bills Mafia in Week 12. The Bills come in as one of the top plays on Defense and I will target them in my cash games as long as I have the salary to get there. I like targeting home defenses and the fact we can combine that with the fact the Broncos will traveling through time zones for a 1pm Eastern game and we have a solid play in Week 12.
STEELERS- $4000 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL
The defense who is in a matchup versus the Bengals has been a prime target for me if you have been reading my column week after week. The Bengals are bad and the Steelers have a top 10 defense that is getting better week to week. The Steelers have averaged 12 fantasy points per game and have been forcing turnovers and accumulating sacks. Play it safe at the defense position and either lock up the Bills or Steelers in Week 12.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.
NFL Freaks of the Week is a weekly poll on the Alabama football twitter account
The “NFL Freaks of the Week” is a weekly poll on the Alabama football twitter account, that lets fans vote for an NFL offensive and defensive freak of the week from the previous week’s matchups.
Last week, Derrick Henry and Minkah Fitzpatrick were the Freaks of the week.
Let’s see who the fans voted for this week!
Offensively, these were the four candidates twitter got to vote on:
After a 1-7 start, the Falcons have turned things around over the past two weeks, defeating both the Saints and Panthers by playing complementary football.
After a 1-7 start, the Falcons have turned things around over the past two weeks, defeating both the Saints and Panthers by playing complementary football.
The defense deserves credit for Sunday’s five-sack, four-interception performance in Carolina, but Atlanta’s offense more than held its own.
Quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Calvin Ridley made the Pro Football Focus team of the week for their play in Week 11.
PFF’s team of the week has a couple #Falcons make the list👀👀
Ryan completed 21-of-31 passes for 311 yards, 1 touchdown and a passer rating of 111.1 against the Panthers. This earned Ryan a PFF grade of 86.7.
Second-year wideout Calvin Ridley finally got the chance to show what he could do as the Falcons’ No. 2 weapon behind Julio Jones. Ridley would catch all eight of Ryan’s targets, finishing 143 yards and a touchdown.
With a grade of 91.7, Ridley earned the highest mark of any offensive player in Week 11, according to Pro Football Focus.
Tight end Austin Hooper is likely to be sidelined for another week. This will give Atlanta another chance to see what Ridley can do as a focal point in this offense.
Former Alabama star receiver, Calvin Ridley, scored his fifth touchdown of the year in the Atlanta Falcons contest against the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons beat the Panthers with a final score of 29-3 to improve their record to 3-7 on the season. …
Former Alabama star receiver, Calvin Ridley, scored his fifth touchdown of the year in the Atlanta Falcons contest against the Carolina Panthers.
The Falcons beat the Panthers with a final score of 29-3 to improve their record to 3-7 on the season.
Matt Ryan found Ridley in the back corner of the endzone to increase the lead to 26-0.
In the game, Ridley reeled in eight receptions for an impressive 143 yards and the lone touchdown.
Ridley has been the main contributor to this Falcons offense, that has had a rough time getting off the ground. If his production can stay this high, who knows where the future of the Falcons may lie.
Sunday marked the third time that Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley has played against the Carolina Panthers, and it was also the third time he’s scored a touchdown against them.
Sunday marked the third time that Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley has played against the Carolina Panthers, and it was also the third time he’s scored a touchdown against them.
Ridley finished with eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown during Atlanta’s 29-3 win. Without Austin Hooper and Devonta Freeman in Week 11, Ridley capitalized and showed he’s worthy of being the team’s No. 2 receiving option behind Julio Jones.
Watch Ridley talk to Falcons reporter Kelsey Conway after the game about his dominance against the Panthers over his short career:
Caught up with @CalvinRidley1 after his big day. The past 2 times Calvin has played here he’s had monster days.
As for the Panthers’ immediate future, it’s bleak.
Last Sunday left a clear conclusion for the struggling Atlanta Falcons: they had finally figured something out. A defense that had managed a measly seven sacks over their eight games nearly matched that total, taking Drew Brees down six times while holding his normally potent offense to zero touchdowns in a shocking 26-9 win.
This week, Atlanta figured something else out: The Carolina Panthers are nothing to be afraid of with Kyle Allen at quarterback.
Carolina helped the visiting Falcons keep their good times rolling in Week 11, cowering in an embarrassing 29-3 thrashing—their third loss over their last four games.
Once again, the supposed successor to Cam Newton had a considerable hand in the defeat.
Allen was simply overwhelmed throughout the afternoon, with each of his career-high four interceptions all coming off unforced mental errors. Those started right away, when he seemingly tried to avoid a sack on the offense’s first drive and spiked the ball . . . into the hands of Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.
Allen threw two more picks before the half, one in the end zone on a route that cornerback Marcus Trufant ran for DJ Moore and the other on an errant overthrow, again, to Moore. Both came with the Panthers inside the Falcons’ 25-yard line.
“This isn’t a timing issue with the line or receivers, this is a bad decision issue on Kyle,” he said as he threw his quarterback under whatever was left of that broken-down bus. “He’s got to address it.”
Rivera was right.
Allen’s moxie wouldn’t be enough to spark a Super Bowl LI-esque comeback, as he capped off the outing with another bad choice on another bad throw in another bad spot, inside Atlanta’s 25-yard line. He finished the day having completed 31 of his 50 tries for 325 yards and a 47.5 passer rating, lower than that of Falcons running back Kenjon Barner (one-of-one, three yards).
Carolina’s defense didn’t provide much resistance, either.
Wideout Calvin Ridley tore up cornerback Donte Jackson for much of their matchup, reeling in all of his eight targets for 143 yards and a touchdown. While they did clean up their historically porous run defense – allowing just 54 yards on 26 Atlanta rushes – the Panthers forced zero turnovers and sacked Matt Ryan (21-of-31, 311 yards) just three times.
But, again, the moral of this story is what the Falcons, Rivera and the rest of the football world should have figured out by now. Allen is not the answer for Carolina. He’s a passable backup – not someone that’s worth betting your future on.
As for the Panthers’ immediate future, it’s bleak. At 5-5, the playoffs are very likely out of reach in a heavily contentious NFC conference.
Much like Rivera did by opting for a 31-yard field goal down 26-0 in the fourth quarter instead of taking a shot at the end zone, it may soon be time to take a knee on the season and see what third-round pick Will Grier has to offer.
The Panthers will be hosting the Falcons this week in their third NFC South game of the season.
The Panthers will be hosting the Falcons this week in their third NFC South game of the year. A win should keep them afloat in a crowded wild card race, but a loss might effectively sink any realistic hope of making the postseason.
Here are four key matchups we will be watching on Sunday.
Panthers’ backup corners vs. Calvin Ridley
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
James Bradberry missed last week’s game against the Packers, but he’s expected to play and should be able to hold his own against Julio Jones. However, Donte Jackson and Ross Cockrell might both be ruled out, which would leave Carolina rather thin at cornerback. That means Cole Luke and Corn Elder could both see significant playing time. With tight end Austin Hooper out, it will leave Atlanta’s options on offense very limited if they can shut down Ridley. In his two meetings with the Panthers last season, Ridley totaled 154 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He only needed seven catches to get those numbers.
