Fantasy World: Battle of the Matts

Who's a better fantasy bet, Matt Ryan or Matt Cassel?

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When schedules meet stats, Ryan may not be the best Matt for your team.

It's been a big year for Matts: The historic presidential election put reporters Matt Taibbi and Matthew Yglesias in the realm of political powerhouses; Matt Damon got to take part in a video suggesting he was doing illicit activities with Sarah Silverman; this other Matt guy went around the world and danced with a bunch of folks; and hey look, this Matt Berry guy got himself an Emmy. That kind of success shouldn't be surprising when you learn Matthew means "gift of God" in Hebrew, but even more importantly it means "a sexy guy that liked the women and has a nice tooth brush" in the Urban Dictionary. So we probably should have known that young Matt Cassel and Matt Ryan would be two of the biggest shocks of the fantasy football season.

Cassel had the Herculean task of stepping in for the NFL's star quarterback and went through a few growing pains in the process, but now with his back-to-back 400-yard passing games, prognosticators are beginning to wonder if the Patriots don't turn to him next year instead of bringing back Brady. Ryan, meanwhile, was handed the reigns to one of the more struggling franchises in football, and has almost single-handedly brought them back to respectability. But the question is—and there must always be a question—which of the two Matts is the better Matt? Let's break this down the only true way you can break down any aspect of life: through the unrepentant beast that is the passage of time!

The Past: So far this year, Cassel has put up 130 fantasy points while Ryan has 117. Over 11 games that kind of separation is basically negligible, so like Encyclopedia Brown, we're going to delve a bit deeper.

Before Cassel's two back-to-back Hall of Fame-level games, he was averaging 10.4 points a game. Not too shabby, but nothing to get excited about; that's Jake Delhomme/Ben Roethlisberger territory. Meanwhile, Ryan put up 11.5 points a game. Again, not world-beater numbers, but a point higher than Cassel's. So the big question is, how much weight do you put into those last two outings by Cassel? I'm going out on a limb and saying, not a ton, but enough. Sure, he was only starting in 29% of leagues last week (that foolish 71% includes a nice warm spot on one of my team's benches) and it was even less the week before, but if anyone had him in, that move most likely won them the week. Ryan, on the other hand, has yet to have that gangbusters-level performance that puts a team over the top.

Verdict: Matthias Cassel, in a squeaker.

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Dude may have won you the last two weeks in fantasy. Did you start him?

The Present: Since one cannot precisely pinpoint the present—See? Poof! It's already gone!—this section is basically going to be about what to expect from the dual Matts for the rest of the year. But I couldn't just make that clear by the title; it would ruin both my triptych of time-related phrases and my subtle nod to Rob Zombie. And that, would not fly!

So with that out of the way, who's the better QB from this point forward? For Ryan, his upcoming schedule includes San Diego (32nd in passing yards against), New Orleans (24th), Tampa Bay (2nd) and Minnesota (22nd). He plays the Rams (21st) in Week 17, but as we've said before, if the games don't matter in fantasy, they don't exist! So as you can see, it's a bunch of great match-ups save for that December 14th tilt against the Bucs, which is unfortunately the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. As for Cassel, his schedule is a bit more ominous, as the Pats play Pittsburgh (1st against the pass), Seattle (31st), Oakland (10th) and Arizona (17th). He also plays at Buffalo (16th) in meaningless Week 17. Overall then, it looks as if Ryan should be in the better position to succeed, but just make sure to have someone on reserve for that dicey game against the Bucs. And note that New England's running game is banged up.

Verdict: Matthias Ryan, but not a total landslide.

The Future: The question is simple, which of these two quarterbacks is the better keeper option?

Ryan was the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft. He's only 23, has a Rookie of the Year award in his grasp and has brought a franchise back from the cold grasp of death. He's won ballgames, energized the base and given the Atlanta fans hope, something they haven't had since Vick ran for 173 yards against the Vikings back in 2002. Essentially, he's the Football Obama, by which to say, he should have the starting job in Atlanta for awhile.

Cassel, meanwhile, is a shock to everyone mostly because he was drafted on something like Day 182 of the draft—it was pick number 45,687 I believe—and has exceeded every expectation people had for him, which were admittedly low. No matter what happens during the rest of the year, one thing is for certain: Matt Cassel will hit the free agent market and cash in. If he signs with the Patriots, great. Cassel will be a top quarterback for years to come and surpass Ryan in every statistical category … if he can somehow beat out Mr. Bundchen. That, friends, is a gamble. If he lands anywhere else, it'll most likely be with a desperate team (Lions?) who won't exactly promise him statistical riches. (Just ask Easterbrook.) So the question is, do you feel lucky?

Verdict: Ryan for the smart conservatives, Cassel for the degenerate gamblers.

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Player on My Team of the Week: The Bears defense, who manned up after the tongue-lashing I gave them last week by giving up only 207 total yards and 3 points, collecting five sacks and four interceptions in the process. And sure, it was against the Rams, which is a bit like the Globetrotters putting up big numbers against the Washington Generals, but points are points. Stop raining on my parade!

How to Heckle One of My Players of the Week: "Hey Reggie Wayne, five different Colts caught at least five passes last week. You were not one of them. Maybe it's time to finally apologize to Peyton for reminding him that Eli got his ring quicker."

The Chicken and The Egg Award of the Week: TAD, or Television Affective Disorder, after a new study was released by the University of Maryland stating that unhappy people watch more television than those content with their lives. Question is, does television create sadness, or do the already-depressed turn to the boob tube for escape?

Buy High: Monty Python's "Dead Cart", after scientists in Taiwan found a new strain of bacteria, a "black plague" if you will, that can be passed from rats to humans. This might get icky.

Sell Low: Myspace, as opposed to Facebook, after a new study shows that states with high illiteracy rates are more likely to search for "The Place for Friends". Friendster, meanwhile, has a high correlation with people who fear change.

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