The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact of Calvin Ridley’s Suspension
In what can only be described as shocking, wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended for “at least” the entire 2022 NFL season for allegedly gambling on NFL football games (including possibly on his own team) while he was away from the Atlanta Falcons for mental health reasons. The surprise suspension is going to have a serious ripple effect in dynasty leagues. Let’s cover the players whose values have changed as long as this suspension is upheld, which is nearly certain as the NFL doesn’t mess around with gambling and obviously has hard evidence linking Ridley to their accusations.
Calvin Ridley, WR ATL
When he entered the league in 2018, Ridley immediately became one of the most dynamic receivers in the league. Over his four years in Atlanta, he posted 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns in 49 career games, highlighted by a 90/1,374/9 season for the Falcons in 2020. In dynasty circles, Ridley quickly became one of the game’s most coveted assets with an ADP that reached as high as 16 overall in October of 2021. In fact, in many dynasty leagues, he was considered to be a top three option at the position as late as early last year.
Then the 2021 season happened.
After just five games, Ridley suddenly left the team, citing his need to focus on his mental health. Ever since, there has been speculation he wanted to play elsewhere or even retire, though the nature of his absence has been largely a mystery. Last season was essentially a waste, but dynasty managers were clearly hopeful he would get a fresh start one way or another and recoup some of his lost value – that’s obviously not going to happen now.
This suspension is indefinite and will last at least all of next season. To make things even more interesting, Ridley later tweeted out a tongue-in-cheek message saying, “I’ll bet you 1500 I don’t have a gambling problem.” That may be the case, but it doesn’t exactly show a ton of remorse from Ridley.
So, where to from here?
Ridley is going to be 29 during the 2023 season and since he was an older player when he was taken initially, the concern with him in dynasty leagues is real. Realistically, it looks like his absence from the game will span at least two years at a minimum. His talent is enormous, but this situation is going to be very similar to that we’ve seen with Josh Gordon or Antonio Brown. While it’s going to be very difficult to drop him in dynasty leagues because of his talent, you’re going to be stuck with a player just taking up valuable roster space for at least a season. Regardless, there’s not much you can do as Ridley’s trade value is going to be sunk. You’re going to have to stand pat in most leagues, but it’s going to hurt. Let’s just hope his mental state is good because that’s really the most important part of this story.
Kyle Pitts, TE ATL
After a stellar rookie campaign that featured 68 catches for 1,026 receiving yards, Pitts is here to stay. While he was only able to muster one touchdown, it was very apparent Pitts was the real deal. With Ridley out of the picture now, Pitts stands to soak up even more targets throughout the season, though we’ve already seen him be the primary target during Ridley’s absence last year. The Falcons are sure to add more weapons to the offense, but the sky’s the limit for this young tight end. This is the time to buy.
Matt Ryan, QB ATL
It’s fair to wonder if the Falcons are really set with Ryan for one more season. While the cap ramifications would be steep (he carries a $40.5 million cap hit), the loss of Ridley may well jumpstart their plans for a rebuild. Regardless, losing Ridley for the year certainly isn’t going to help. Ryan is our QB23 at the moment, but he’s simply a veteran stopgap for teams in reality or fantasy at this point.
Current Falcons Receivers
In short, Atlanta is in bad shape now. With Russell Gage and Cordarrelle Patterson both free agents, they’re left with the likes of Chad Hansen, Frank Darby, and Austin Trammell. They are going to be forced to hit the free agent market hard if they plan on competing any time soon. While the free agent list includes players like Gage, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, Mike Williams, Juju Smith-Schuster, Christian Kirk, DJ Chark, Michael Gallup, and Odell Beckham just to name a few, many of those players could either get the franchise tag tomorrow or obviously sign elsewhere. Regardless, expect Atlanta to be very active in the market in the upcoming weeks.
The NFL Draft Wide Receivers
With the Falcons picking eighth, a wide receiver could be a serious consideration now. Players like Garrett Wilson, Drake London, Jameson Williams, Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, and even Jahan Dotson could all be in play in round one. However, the 8th pick could be a little steep for most of them. We’ll see, but the Falcons are in a serious pickle now.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
- 2024 Rookie Bust Mock Draft (Pre-Draft Edition): Round One - April 18, 2024
- JK Dobbins signs with the Chargers: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact - April 17, 2024
- Dynasty Running Back Danger Rankings: 24-17 - April 15, 2024
