Is Desmond Ridder A Good Fantasy Football Pickup for Week 15? Waiver Wire Outlook

The Atlanta Falcons have dropped four of their last five games and currently sit at 5-8, one game behind the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Marcus Mariota started every game for the Falcons heading into their Week 14 bye, but head coach Arthur Smith felt indifferent about the veteran's performance. Over their off week, the Falcons announced that rookie Desmond Ridder would take over the starting job under center.

Will Desmond Ridder be relevant in fantasy football? Should you pick Ridder up in fantasy leagues for Week 15?

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What Did Desmond Ridder Do In College?

The former Cincinnati Bearcat made a name for himself by guiding his team to become the first Group-of-5 school to make the College Football Playoffs last year.

Ridder was a four-year starter at Cincinnati, threw for over 10,000 yards, ran for 2,180 more, and was responsible for 115 touchdowns during his college tenure.

Last year as a senior, the Louisville native finished eighth in the Heisman voting. The two-time AAC Offensive Player of the year was drafted in the third round with the 74th overall pick by Atlanta.

Is the Atlanta Quarterback Position Valuable in Fantasy Football?

Marcus Mariota is currently the QB15 on the year, averaging 15.8 points per game. The former Heisman winner has four weekly finishes inside the top-10 quarterbacks this year.

Both Mariota and Desmond Ridder possess dual-threat abilities from the quarterback position. The veteran Mariota, in his eighth season, has the fifth-most rushing yards by a quarterback in 2022 with 438 yards. Ridder will have a relatively high floor given his rushing ability.

The Chicago Bears are the only team to attempt fewer passes than the Atlanta Falcons this year. The Falcons are averaging 23 pass attempts per game. With a weak receiving corps that's missing Kyle Pitts, Desmond Ridder's fantasy value is limited.

Should I Pickup Desmond Ridder Off the Waiver Wire in Fantasy Football?

In a 2QB or SuperFlex league, Desmond Ridder should be picked up off the waiver wire immediately due to pure positional scarcity. If you're in a standard 1QB league, the rookie would likely be an irrelevant addition to your team.

Atlanta's remaining schedule is very enticing for a quarterback's fantasy value: the Saints, Ravens, and Cardinals all rank inside the top-14 most favorable fantasy matchups for quarterbacks.

I wouldn't go as far as to say Desmond Ridder is a league winner, but his dual-threat upside makes him an interesting streamer to close the season.

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