Team Profile
Atlanta Falcons
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3.5% 14thOff DVOA
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18.7% 16thPassing DVOA
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3.1% 7thRushing DVOA
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6.8% 26thDef DVOA
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17.2% 26thDef Passing DVOA
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-7.1% 20thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For21.8 20th
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Points Against23.3 18th
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Yards Per Game363.0 9th
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Yards Allowed Per Game343.0 20th
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London expressed enthusiasm regarding the team's pass-heavy offense under new coordinator Zac Robinson. "Ball is gonna be in the air," said London during a recent interview. "Getting faster for a quarterback that's seen it all, it's a really cool situation to have because we'd like to dictate what goes on in a stadium on a weekly basis. The faster we can play, the more efficient we can play, hopefully the more points we have." The 22-year-old was drafted No. 8 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he hasn't lived up to expectations, accumulating 141 grabs for 1,771 yards and only six touchdowns in 33 games. But with Kirk Cousins under center and a new offensive coordinator, fantasy managers are ready to get London on their rosters for the 2024-25 campaign.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud signed with the team this offseason, but he largely went unnoticed since the Falcons had a busy offseason of new acquisitions. However, ESPN Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi said McCloud could be more involved in the offense than expected. "Most figured McCloud, a veteran going into his seventh year, would make his mark primarily as a return man," Raimondi said. "But he also got reps with Atlanta's first team this spring and performed well, catching passes from Cousins for big plays. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson figures to use many wide receivers. McCloud will be in that mix." The 27-year-old has just 768 receiving yards and one touchdown through his first 77 games, so it's tough to get too excited about him. However, this report should at least put him on the fantasy radar in deep leagues.
Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has agreed to terms on a four-year, $22.88 million deal that includes a $13.46 million signing bonus, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. If things play out the way the Falcons hope, the 24-year-old will see limited action for at least the next two seasons while Kirk Cousins leads the offense. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is coming off two monster collegiate seasons that included over 9,000 passing yards and 67 passing touchdowns. He should at least be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL right away, and he is worth stashing in dynasty leagues and Superflex formats in 2024.
The Atlanta Falcons' new offense under head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will clearly run through second-year running back Bijan Robinson. "In as simple of a form as you can possibly make it," Morris said, "it's 'get the ball to Bijan as much as you can in as many ideal situations that you possibly can.'" Robinson's 214 carries for 976 yards and four touchdowns made him the top-rushing rookie in 2023, and he also caught 58 passes for an extra 487 yards -- the fourth-most among RBs -- and also had four receiving TDs. His 272 touches ranked 12th among NFL players last year, and Robinson finished 10th with 1,463 total yards from scrimmage. The 22-year-old expects to be more of a runner than pass-catcher in 2024, and with more total touches likely coming his way, he should easily be considered a top-three fantasy RB.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is returning from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Week 8 of the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, but he has expressed confidence he'll be full-go by training camp at the end of July since his arrival in Atlanta in March. That sentiment didn't change throughout the offseason program, and Cousins' participation in all aspects of the team's offseason program is promising. Cousins said he did everything at organized team activities, but it will be worth watching if he continues to do everything in training camp. The 35-year-old signal-caller will be in a non-contact jersey, but everything else should be business as usual. Cousins will still have plenty of weapons around him in Atlanta, but it's a downgrade in receivers and he's coming off a significant injury towards the end of his career. At best, fantasy managers should consider him a midrange QB2.