Desmond Ridder

QB ATL

College: Cincinnati | 2 years
Height: 6'3" | Weight: 207 lbs
Birth Date: 1999-08-31
2024 Bye Week: 14

Total Pts: 0.00
Avg Pts: 0.00
Rank: 0 QB

Fantasy WeekPts
Scoring
No Playoff Match Up
Player Notes
Mar 15 8:04am CT

Dynasty | The Falcons have traded Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals in exchange for Rondale Moore. Dynasty Analysis: Moore had shown little in Arizona and desperately needed a change of scenery. Ridder was also expendable after the signing of Kirk Cousins, so this one makes sense. Unfortunately for Ridder, he's going to be a backup again as it would take a Kyler Murray injury for him to see the field. While he still has some promise and youth is on his side, Ridder isn't worth a roster spot in dynasty leagues at the moment.

Mar 14 12:40pm CT

The Arizona Cardinals are acquiring former starting quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, according to a source. Ridder squandered his chance as the full-time starter for the Falcons in 2023 by throwing for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts), eventually being benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. The former third-round pick out of Cincinnati has also lost nine fumbles in 19 games (17 starts) in his two NFL seasons. Atlanta's signing of Kirk Cousins made Ridder expendable, and he'll now make for a solid backup option in Arizona for starter Kyler Murray. The 24-year-old obviously won't be on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues in 2024 now that he's firmly entrenched in a backup role.

From RotoBaller

Mar 14 12:10pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to be traded now that the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins, according to sources. The Falcons have been discussing a deal with other teams, but nothing is in place yet. The 24-year-old third-round pick in 2022 out of Cincinnati lost the starting gig to Taylor Heinicke last year and finished with a 64.2 completion percentage, 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts). In his 17 NFL starts over two seasons, Ridder hasn't looked like a starter, throwing 14 TDs and 12 interceptions with 7.0 yards per attempt. He's also lost nine fumbles. At best, Ridder could land with a team like the Denver Broncos that would give him a chance to compete for a starting role in 2024. Clearly, Ridder's fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper leagues has taken a big hit after his disappointing 2023 campaign.

From RotoBaller

Feb 16 1:50pm CT

The Atlanta Falcons finished 21st in the NFL in 2023 in EPA per dropback with quarterbacks Tyler Heinicke and Desmond Ridder, according to TruMedia. Only six teams threw more than Atlanta's 17 interceptions, and Ridder added 12 lost fumbles. The Falcons appear to be just a quarterback away from being true contenders, and the team is primed to search for an upgrade over Heinicke and Ridder in 2024, either through the draft, free agency or the trade market under new head coach Raheem Morris. Depending on the signal-caller that the Falcons add this offseason, their offense should be expected to be much more aggressive under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, which should benefit key offensive pieces such as running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London.

From RotoBaller

Jan 7 8:20pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has struggled throughout most of the season, but ended his 2023 campaign with a bang. The young signal-caller completed 22-of-30 passing attempts for 291 yards with two touchdowns and one interception during the Week 18 loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was a nice finish to the season for Ridder, but it probably wasn't enough to save his job in Atlanta. This season, Ridder threw for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was benched on two separate occasions for backup Taylor Heinicke. The expectation is that the Falcons add to their quarterback room this offseason and move on from Ridder. Regardless, he won't be much of a fantasy option on any team heading into 2024.

From RotoBaller

Jan 7 10:40am CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (ankle) is officially inactive for Week 18 versus the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as questionable and was optimistic about his availability, but it appears that he wasn't quite healthy enough to play. In his absence, Desmond Ridder will return to the starting quarterback role. The 24-year-old has appeared in 14 games this season, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,545 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also has 193 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 31 sacks, and six lost fumbles. Fantasy managers should view Ridder as a fringe QB2 option heading into Sunday's contest.

From RotoBaller

Dec 19 11:10am CT

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday that quarterback Taylor Heinicke will make the start over Desmond Ridder this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, according to a team source. It's the second time this year Ridder has been sent to the bench, this time coming on the heels of his sixth red-zone turnover of 2023 and 16th total turnover in the loss to the Carolina Panthers. Heinicke lost both of his starts in Weeks 9 and 10 to the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals, respectively, going 29-for-53 for 323 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Atlanta, now 6-8, is turning to Heinicke to try and save their season and possibly head coach Arthur Smith's job. Among QBs with more than 50 attempts in 2023, Heinicke is 18th in EPA per dropback (.02), 30th in passer rating (84.2) and 48th in completion percentage (55.4).

From RotoBaller

Dec 19 11:10am CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is being benched for Taylor Heinicke for the second time this year, likely signaling an end for him as the starter long-term in Atlanta. Dating back to 2022, Ridder has started 16 games, going 8-8 while completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,236 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's under contract for the next two seasons and should make for a solid option in a backup role if that's a role he's willing to take Given the state of the team at 6-8 right now, it's hard to imagine head coach Arthur Smith will give Ridder a third chance at the starting gig. However, it's also doubtful the Falcons are looking at Heinicke as the long-term answer under center. He's 12-14-1 as an NFL starter and has been marginally better than Ridder in his two starts this year.

From RotoBaller

Dec 17 8:30pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had a tough time getting anything going against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The young signal-caller completed 12-of-20 passing attempts for 152 yards with a touchdown and one interception in the loss. Ridder looked lackluster all game long until late in the fourth quarter. He finally put together a decent drive until he an awful interception on his back foot in the red zone. After that, the Panthers drove down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal. Head coach Arthur Smith didn't commit to Ridder being the starter next week. Regardless, Ridder is barely a fantasy option for the Week 16 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

From RotoBaller

Dec 15 8:50am CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder posted a 347-yard performance during last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite a nice day on paper, Ridder still made multiple mistakes with an interception and fumble in the defeat. Ridder continues to struggle with his accuracy and was lucky to get out of that game with only one interception. It won't get easier for Ridder against the Carolina Panthers defense in Week 15. A defensive unit that has allowed the fewest amount of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Ridder will be avoidable in most fantasy formats for this week.

From RotoBaller

Dec 12 12:00pm CT

Atlanta Falcons' QB Desmond Ridder scored 29.85 fantasy points in Sunday's Week 14 loss against the Buccaneers. Ridder threw for 347 yards on 26-of-40 with one touchdown and one interception. It's the 2nd time this season Ridder scored at least 25 fantasy points in a game.

Dec 10 9:00pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder came into the Week 14 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with two straight performances of under 170 passing yards. However, the young signal-caller had no issues getting yards against the Buccaneers defense on Sunday. Ridder completed 26 of 40 passing attempts for 347 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss. Ridder threw for nearly 350 yards but still had a tough time during this game. He nearly threw multiple interceptions and fumbled for a safety. Luckily, Ridder was bailed out by his offensive weapons in this game. He's a low-end QB2 for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Dec 10 3:30pm CT

Falcons' QB Desmond Ridder passed for 347 yards on 26-of-40 with one touchdown in Sunday's loss against the Buccaneers.

Dec 10 1:10pm CT

Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews (knee) injured his knee during the second quarter of Sunday's Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is questionable to return. The Falcons were already missing two starting offensive linemen in Kaleb McGary and Drew Dalman so losing Matthews adds to the misery. It could be tough sledding for Falcons QB Desmond Ridder the rest of the way. The team should provide an update on Matthews following the game.

From RotoBaller

Dec 8 9:00am CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has been held under 170 passing yards in each of his last two starts since returning as the team's starter. Ridder did very little during last week's win over the New York Jets. Despite that, the Falcons plan to stick with Ridder for at least the rest of this season. However, it's uncertain if he'll be back as the team's starter next season if he continues to play like he has lately. In the meantime, he'll be a desperation deep league option against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Dec 3 6:30pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder made his second straight start after being benched mid-season. The time off didn't help Ridder at all as he continues to be as inaccurate as ever before. On Sunday, Ridder completed 12-of-27 passing attempts for 121 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions in the win over the New York Jets. The Falcons were able to come away with the win, but it wasn't because of Ridder under center. The team will continue to start him going forward, but are likely to re-evaluate the quarterback situation in the offseason. For now, Ridder shouldn't be considered a reliable streaming option for the Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

From RotoBaller

Nov 30 4:40pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder returned as the team's starter ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The time off didn't seem to help Ridder improve as he still struggled with his accuracy last week. He completed 13-of-21 passing attempts for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win. The Falcons went run-heavy in this game and that'll probably be the case going forward. Regardless, Ridder won't be much of a fantasy option versus the New York Jets in Week 13. The Jets have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Ridder has struggled throughout most of the season, so consider him a desperation option in fantasy formats for this game.

From RotoBaller

Nov 26 8:10pm CT

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder returned as the team's starter after the Taylor Heinicke experiment didn't work out too well. It seems like the time off didn't help Ridder improve at all. He was inaccurate and struggled throughout most of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. He completed 13-of-21 passing attempts for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win. Ridder also added seven rushes for 30 yards on the ground as he was eager to leave the pocket and run with the ball. There's not many good things to take away from Ridder's performance outside of the fact he didn't make a game-losing turnover in the fourth quarter. He should be considered a desperation option against the New York Jets next week.

From RotoBaller

Nov 25 5:40pm CT

New Orleans Saints defensive back Marshon Lattimore (ankle) has been placed on the injured reserve on Saturday. That was quick after the Saints ruled out Lattimore for Sunday's game on Friday. Now, Lattimore is set to miss the next four games while he recovers from a high-ankle sprain. The absence of Lattimore will certainly be a blow to the Saints secondary. Alontae Taylor will likely be asked to start alongside Paulson Adebo going forward. Despite that, the Saints defense remains a playable option against the turnover-prone Desmond Ridder in Week 12.

From RotoBaller

Nov 20 5:40pm CT

The Atlanta Falcons confirmed that quarterback Desmond Ridder will return to the starting job not just for one week, but for the rest of the season, starting in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Arthur Smith thinks that Ridder "gives them the best chance." Ridder was benched for Taylor Heinicke the last two games and returned in Week 10 when Heinicke injured his hamstring. Heinicke isn't guaranteed to practice this week, so Logan Woodside could serve as Ridder's backup on Sunday. Ridder completed 65.4% of his passes for 1,740 yards, six TDs and six picks before being benched, with six lost fumbles. The second-year QB is a clear QB2 in fantasy, but he has upside for more because of his legs (four rushing scores this year).

From RotoBaller

Player Transactions
  • 14-Mar-2024: Desmond Ridder - TRD - The Atlanta Falcons traded QB Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals.
  • 19-Jul-2022: ATL Desmond Ridder - Signed, Draft Choice - Four-year contract (through 2025)
NFL Week
OppPtsPass
Com
Pass
Att
Pass
Yds
Pass
TDs
300
Yds
Rush
Yds
Rush
TDs
Fum
Lost
Int
2023 Season0.0024938828361231935712
Week 1CAR10.75151811510-1000
Week 2GB24.7519322371039101
Week 3@DET9.352138201003010
Week 4@JAX11.151931191106012
Week 5HOU29.4528373291010100
Week 6WAS22.1528473072018003
Week 7@TB19.3019252500038130
Week 8@TEN5.15812710026010
Week 9MIN0.00000000000
Week 10@ARI9.0546390011100
Week 11bye
Week 12NO13.4013211681030002
Week 13@NYJ10.051227121100000
Week 14TB29.8526403471015101
Week 15@CAR10.60122015210-2001
Week 16IND0.00000000000
Week 17@CHI-0.153417000001
Week 18@NO20.552230291200011