Atlanta Falcons

Falcons vs. Chargers: 3 Under-the-Radar Fantasy Football Picks

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Falcons look to rebound after a heartbreaking loss to a strong Seahawks team. Which players will help your fantasy football team when they take on the San Diego Chargers?

In Week 6 of the NFL’s regular season, the Atlanta Falcons took a devastating loss to the Seattle Seahawks on a questionable no-call from the referees on the last offensive drive. While they lost the game, the offense still looked strong, and the defense played well against a decent team on the road. The Falcons have emerged as strong contenders for the playoffs this season, and the individual play of many of these players has definitely helped the team play strong.

In Week 7, Atlanta will be playing a San Diego Chargers team that has lost two of its star players early in the season on opposite sides of the ball. Look through the slides here to see which Falcons players you should add to your fantasy football team so you can prosper and compete in your own games.

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3. Falcons’ D/ST

The Falcons’ defense had a decent showing against a respectable Seattle offense, limiting Russell Wilson to 270 yards and no touchdowns, as well as keeping the rushing attack to under 100 yards. They had one sack on the day, which came from corner Desmond Trufant.

This was a surprise because many people were not expecting the Seahawks’ offensive line to hold up well. Now they’ll face a Chargers line that’s widely regarded as one of the worst in the league, as well as an offense missing star receiver Keenan Allen. Expect the defense to keep Philip Rivers and co. in check this Sunday.

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2. TE Austin Hooper

Hooper is a long-time favorite in this series, but he failed to register a stat last week against Seattle. This week, the Falcons’ offense will be facing a Chargers’ defense that has its limitations when it comes to covering players that aren’t lined up out wide.

If the Falcons runs two tight end sets with fellow TE Jacob Tamme on the field, Hooper will likely be open somewhere, where Matt Ryan can feed him the ball and give you and the Falcons some points for your fantasy football team this week.

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1. WR Justin Hardy

When the Chargers lost starting cornerback Jason Verrett for the year, it became apparent that many no.3 receivers would benefit from this, with reserves having to play them behind Casey Hayward and Brandon Flowers. Hardy is the pass-catcher to benefit in Week 7.

He has been a decent performer in the flex, especially in PPR leagues, and provides Matt Ryan a reliable third down option on the field when needed. Look for Hardy to score some points for the small amount of fantasy football teams he’s on this week while lined up against no-name cornerbacks.

You can see how these players, as well as the rest of the Falcons, fared in Week 7’s fantasy football matchups here.