Football Friday: Who Dat?!

Last Week: W (Bucs +1.5)
Season: 6-3-1

Did I see Doug Martin having the baller second half that he did? Of course not. Did I start him in Fantasy? Fuckin'-A right I did! To the tune of 91.2 points in my league (we have big play bonuses).

Vilma and Brees will both have to shine for a W

I'm 6-0 my last six weeks. Time to put my undefeated streak against another one. I'm taking the New Orleans Saints (+2.5) at home against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons.

Let's take a look at the career numbers for the Brees v Matty Ice rivalry that started back in 2008.

• Brees is 6-2 vs the Falcons since Matty Ice became the starter. Throwing for an average of 319 yards a game, completing 68% of his passes with 19 TDs and 10 INTs.
• Ryan is 2-6 in the matchup, but he did win one of those games in New Orleans. A 27-24 overtime thriller. 
• Other than that, Ryan hasn't been the reason for his teams inability to beat the Saints. He has thrown for an average of 280 yards a game, completing 59% of his passes with 10 TDs and 5 INTs.

Brees has clearly had Matty Ice's number. I think you have to be intrigued by getting the saints as a dog at home after that Monday night performance. I thought the Saints were going down last week, but I was dead wrong. Last week they played a lot like the team that was 13-3 last year and won a championship in the 2009 season. They ran the ball effectively, put pressure on the quarterback, created turnovers, and Drew Brees played his typical A-game.

I think it's possible that Steve Spagnolo finally got through to his defense. While I attribute a lot of those QB pressures to an inept Philly offensive line, I think it's a step in the right direction. Jonathan Vilma is back to quarterback the D and knows this Atlanta offense well. Will they have the same success against Atlanta? Probably not, but I think given the way the Falcons barely beat the Cowboys last week, they're probably due for a cooler. I still think the Falcons are a better team and will win the next matchup when they meet again in the Georgia Dome. But for now, I am going with the team that looked more impressive last week, cannot afford to lose, and has home field in this rivalry.

Plus my fantasy team needs a big game out of Brees. Saints +2.5