As the NFL season kicks off this week, there are many incredible matchups to watch. One of the top rivalry must-see games this week will take place in the NFC South where Matt Ryan and the Falcons visit Drew Brees and the Saints at the Superdome.

The Falcons and the Saints face off twice during the season and you can bet the Saints at home are going into this game with a chip on their shoulder and a robust determination to become victorious in Week 1 to lock in their first season win. This is something they were not were not successful in accomplishing last year in their first game against the Falcons. Plus, you can bet the Falcons are coming to New Orleans knowing the Saints will be in beast mode, so they will be playing their hearts out in order to clutch that first season win as well.

This game is likely to become an aerial shoot-out, with both teams scoring points galore. So which quarterback will outplay his opponent in this Week 1 competition, and who will bring in more fantasy points? Let’s take a look.

Ryan and the Falcons will head into the Superdome to face a supposedly revamped Saints defense now coached by former Cowboys defense coach, Rob Ryan. Let’s suppose the Saints defense is somewhat better equipped to slowdown the pass attack. Week 1 may not be the best week to debut their enhanced defense skills as they will not only be challenged by Ryan, who passed for 4,719 yards last year and averaged 19 fantasy points per game last year, but they also will be battling against a handful of some of the most elite NFL receivers.

You can bet Ryan will be throwing the ball easily over 300 yards, spreading out the passes between his top two wide receivers, Julio Jones and Roddy White, and his trusty tight end, Tony Gonzalez. Mixed among some of the long hauls, will be multiple short passes and hand-offs to the Falcons new running back addition, Steven Jackson. The Falcons will be an army to beat Week 1, and without home team advantage, Ryan will be arriving with his gun blazing to attempt to outplay his NFC south rival.

Look for the Saints to be fired up also, especially at home, and probably recalling the sore memories of losing their first four games last year. Brees and his team will be looking to crush the Falcons with the majority of their offensive plays flying through the air. And why not? Brees finished first place last year for quarterbacks passing for an amazing 5,177 yards and scoring his fantasy owners an average of 21.6 points per game.

The Falcons defense is decent, but it will have to be in overdrive to slow down Brees and his receiving weapons. On the flipside, Brees will have to perform nearly flawlessly to get the most optimum production he can from his wide receivers, Marques Colston and Lance Moore, and running back Darren Sproles, who is one of the highest ranking pass-catching backs in the NFL.

We also cannot forget about the one bonus teammate Brees is fortunate to have at his passing disposal; explosive, top ranking tight end, Jimmy Graham, who is in a class by himself where the tight end position is concerned. Brees’ most impactful game scoring plays are where he and Graham connect in the red-zone. During this rival matchup, look for this to occur at least a couple of times.

Conclusion

This will be a high scoring affair for both Ryan and the Falcons and Brees and his Saints. I think the passing numbers and touchdowns are going to be fairly close between the two quarterbacks. The Saints are at home where Brees has scored 10 passing touchdowns against the Falcons in their last two home games. Ryan has an average of 370 passing yards against the Saints in their past games along with over 50 plus pass attempts per game. From a fantasy standpoint, I see Ryan edging out Brees just by a smidge likely due to an interception Brees will encounter.

Statistical Projections

Ryan: 345 passing yards, 28 pass completions, three passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 21 fantasy points
Brees: 375 passing yards, 30 pass completions, three passing touchdowns, one interception, 19 fantasy points