DesmondRidder

News: 2 days agoRidder completed four of six passes for 39 yards and gained 11 rushing yards and a touchdown on three carries after replacing Taylor Heinicke (hamstring) in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 25-23 loss to the Cardinals.

Spin: The second-year quarterback gave the Falcons a spark, and Ridder's nine-yard TD run with under three minutes left gave his team a 23-22 lead that the defense couldn't hold up. Atlanta gets its bye next week, giving Heinicke time to heal up; however, if he's not ready to return in Week 12, Ridder could find himself back in the starting role Nov. 26 against the Saints.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Ridder is the starting QB in Atlanta after spending most of his rookie season backing up Marcus Mariota. The 2022 third-round pick made four starts as a rookie, but failed to make much of an impact, scoring only two TDs, both of which came in a Week 18 game against a Buccaneers team that was resting starters. Ridder has the ability to make noise with his legs, though he was held below 10 rushing yards in three of his four games last season. It's rare for Day 2 draft picks to emerge into stars, so Ridder is a long shot, but perhaps he'll make a leap in his second season, especially with young targets Drake London and Kyle Pitts on the ascent. He's a better asset in dynasty formats.