Atlanta Falcons

SI.com's Albert Breer writes that Atlanta Falcons rookie first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been impressive so far in training camp while running the second-team offense as he heads into his first NFL season as a backup to veteran Kirk Cousins. Penix has looked good getting guys in and out of the huddle and is getting a better feel for progressing to the backside of some of the team's new passing concepts. He has a knack for pushing the ball down the field and has had a handful of wo throws every week. The 24-year-old was a surprise as the eighth overall pick in April's draft after the team signed Cousins in free agency. There's a ton of long-term upside for Penix in fantasy if he can avoid the injury bug, but he'll be off the redraft radar as long as Cousins stays healthy.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud clearly has the starting slot job right now over Rondale Moore. McCloud had 90 catches in six seasons before signing with the Falcons as a free agent this offseason, while Moore had 135 catches in three years when Atlanta acquired him in a trade for quarterback Desmond Ridder. "I have the ultimate confidence in him," wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said of McCloud. "I think he's going to be really good for our football team." Moore has made some big plays in camp with the second-team offense but has struggled with consistency. The 27-year-old McCloud has mostly been a special-teams asset in his time in the NFL, but he could have a bigger role in the new-look Falcons offense in 2024. For now, he's just a name to monitor as fantasy drafts approach this fall.

The Washington Commanders have claimed kicker Riley Patterson off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a brief stint with Brandon McManus, the Commanders are turning to Patterson, a recent kicker for the Jaguars. Patterson has appeared in 39 career games, including 15 last season with the Lions and Browns. On Wednesday, Ramiz Ahmed was the only kicker on the Commanders' 90-man roster. Ahmed has played in just one career game, serving as a fill-in for Mason Crosby with the Packers in 2022. Patterson joined the Jaguars on a reserve/futures contract but lost an early camp competition to sixth-round rookie Cam Little. The Commanders will evaluate whether Patterson or Ahmed can serve as a dependable kicker. The winner of this competition could hold significant value, especially as the Commanders' offense, led by Jayden Daniels, looks promising but might need to score heavily due to a potentially weak defense.

New Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson says that running back Tyler Allgeier is "certainly going to have a big role." Robinson also says there will be certain points this year where the Falcons will lean on him. Despite the selection of star tailback Bijan Robinson in the first round of last year's NFL draft, Allgeier sustained a prominent role on the ground with 186 rushing attempts in 17 games last season. The 24-year-old former fifth-round pick out of BYU should remain a decent bet for double-digit carries on a weekly basis this season, but he'll be awfully dependent on touchdowns without much usage in the passing game. Atlanta's offense also figures to be more modernized with quarterback Kirk Cousins at the helm in 2024, so Allgeier is better suited as a handcuff for Robinson's fantasy managers than as an RB3/flex starter to begin the season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived kicker Riley Patterson on Monday, according to the team. Patterson was cut after losing the kicking competition to rookie sixth-rounder Cam Little early in training camp this summer. The 24-year-old will now look for other opportunities around the league heading into the 2024 regular season this fall. Patterson, a former undrafted rookie out of Memphis, spent last year with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. In 15 games, he went 16-for-18 on his field-goal chances while missing three of his 44 extra-point tries. For his career after debuting in 2021 with the Lions, Patterson has made 88.1% of his field goals and 95.9% of his extra points in 39 games played. The Jags offense could be quite formidable in 2024, but fantasy managers can ignore the unproven Little in standard 12-team leagues.