Analysis of the Atlanta Falcons’ best fantasy football players for the upcoming season.
Let’s go through another NFL fantasy football team preview.
We’ve looked at the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens and now we’re talking about the Atlanta Falcons.
Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, some things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will report on any major changes as they occur.
Get ready for draft season! Practice mock drafts, view ADPs, and get trade advice with our Trade Analyzer.
Fantasy Outlook
Many of you probably want me to talk about Jr. here, but Cousins will be the team’s starting quarterback this season. If Cousins gets injured or struggles enough to force Penix to start some games, FantasySP will then provide you with that coverage.
Cousins only played in eight games last season due to his Achilles injury. He completed 216 of his 311 passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. It’s a shame Cousins got hurt because he was on his way to a monster season, both in real life and in fantasy.
Cousins is not a particularly good runner and won’t be after his injury. Last season he managed 25 yards on 14 attempts. He could get a sneak TD at quarterback, but I think the team tries to protect him as much as possible and just hands the ball off to a back instead.
He had a great receiver and tight end in Minnesota, but Cousins now has an offense full of playmakers just waiting to take off. As long as Cousins is fully recovered from his injury, there’s no reason he can’t be a top-tier fantasy QB.
Right now, Cousins is rarely drafted in standard leagues. He is QB18 and is drafted around 129th. I see tons of potential and little risk in taking Cousins around his ADP. He’s a great fantasy backup option, though I’d be shocked if his ADP doesn’t increase between now and the regular season.
Running back fantasy prospects
The Falcons have a solid one-two punch in the backfield. will lead the way and already proved last season that he could be a good addition. and the rookie are further down the rankings.
Robinson was great in his rookie season but was severely underwhelmed, rushing for 976 yards and four touchdowns on 214 attempts while completing 58 of his 86 attempts for 487 yards and four more scores.
Allgeier appeared in 17 games. He rushed for 683 yards and scored four points on 186 attempts. Allgeier had 193 receiving yards and one touchdown on 18 grabs and 23 targets.
Williams did not play in a game in 2023. He managed just 170 yards on 35 touches in his first two NFL seasons, all in his second year. Williams should be returning kicks early in the season, so he could have some fantasy value there.
McClellan had a few solid college seasons at Alabama. He wasn’t a great pass catcher, which limits his chances of appearing in the NFL early in his career.
Robinson is the running back you want from Atlanta, but it will cost you an early pick. He’s RB2 and is traded as the fifth pick on average.
Everyone is expecting Robinson to shine in his second season, and I’m one of them. I’d consider Robinson starting at pick 4, but I’d probably like him at pick 5 or 6.
Allgeier is RB49 and a borderline standard league draft choice around pick 149. I think he will still have a role this season, but I don’t think he’s worth a standard league pick. In deeper leagues, drafting Allgeier now makes a lot of sense, especially if you drafted Robinson early.
No other Atlanta back should be considered in deeper leagues either. McClellan has a little long-term potential, but in a best-case scenario, he’ll probably always be the RB2 behind Robinson at least in Atlanta. Avoid McClellan and Williams and get them on the waiver list if Robinson and Allgeier are out with injuries (though I expect the team would look for outside replacements to fill the void instead).
Fantasy Outlook for Wide Receivers
is WR1 in Atlanta. and are the likely other starters around him after he was sidelined with a season-ending injury. Rookie and are the best backups at this point.
London had more yards but only two scores in his second NFL season. However, that was largely due to the poor quarterback performance. He caught 69 balls on 110 attempts for 905 yards.
Mooney spent the first four years of his career in Chicago. He played in 15 games last season, completing 31 of his 61 passes for 414 yards and just one score. Mooney rushed for over 1,000 yards and four scores in his second season, but has rushed for just 907 yards and three scores in 27 games since then.
McCloud will begin the season on his fifth team in his seven-year NFL career. In San Francisco last season, he had 135 receiving yards on 12 catches and 15 targets. He ran three times for 30 yards. McCloud will also likely return punts for the Falcons.
Hodge played in 17 games with Atlanta last season and made 14 of his 23 catches for 232 yards and no scores. The 232 yards were Hodge’s best single-season performance during his six-year NFL career.
Ali did not play in any games in 2023. In his rookie season in 2022, he had one goal.
Washington had just one good college season at Illinois, and this year (his final season) he managed just 670 yards and four touchdowns. However, Moore’s injury gives him a chance to make an impact as a rookie.
London is Atlanta’s best fantasy receiver according to draft boards. He is the WR10 overall and is selected around the 19th pick.
I want London to have his best season yet, but I’m definitely not convinced to take him this early. I’d rather take him at least a round later or let someone else take him.
Mooney is the only other Atlanta receiver on the minds of standard league fantasy owners in drafts. He is WR67 and will be selected around the 167th pick. Given his career performance, I would rather not select him and instead claim him off waivers if he shines in Atlanta.
Mooney is a better option in deeper leagues, but the team’s other secondary receivers are unlikely to get drafted in deeper leagues. One could become a waiver-wire option, but I wouldn’t waste a pick on anyone else.
Tight End Fantasy Outlook
Losing Moore hurts a little, but having a pass-catching TE like him helps a lot. He’ll be backed this season.
Pitts has been heavily hyped in the draft every season of his three-year career, but has never delivered an all-around performance. As a rookie, he had over 1,000 yards but only one touchdown. Pitts had 356 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore. Last season, Pitts had 53 catches on 90 attempts for 667 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games.
Woerner spent the first four years of his career with the Niners. In those four years, he had only 11 catches on 15 attempts for 120 yards and not a single score.
Pitts is clearly the Atlanta TE you want. He’s TE6 and currently around pick 57. He wasn’t a top-10 fantasy option at the position in 2023, so taking him this early is a bit risky.
Pitts has the talent, and now that he has a better quarterback in town, I can finally see him reach his full potential. The fantasy TE position is pretty unpredictable, so a good season could mean a top-three finish, while a mediocre season will likely mean a spot outside the top 10 again.
Personally, I’d prefer Pitts as the eighth overall pick at that position, after and . I think Pitts has more potential, but at the difficult fantasy position, I’m not going to take that risk in the middle rounds. Let someone else have Pitts and get a proven TE instead.
Woerner can be avoided in all fantasy leagues. The team would likely make an external trade if Pitts were out.
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