Atlanta Falcons DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts garnered eight or more targets and seven catches for the second time in three games last week as he's become more involved in the Atlanta passing attack after a zero-catch performance in Week 4. Some of that can be attributed to the opposing team's deficiency in covering TEs, and in Week 8 Pitts will face a team that has already proven itself deficient in defending the pass, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They've allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game in the NFL and 10th-most fantasy points to TEs, including two touchdowns to the Ravens' Mark Andrews just last week. Pitts hauled in seven passes for 88 yards against the Bucs in Week 5, and this time around they are down starter Tykee Smith which could give Pitts and Ray-Ray McCloud III a boost in opportunities. Even with other TEs starting to pull their weight and despite some volatility concerns, Pitts sets up as a back-end TE1 in Week 8.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney garnered eight targets last week, the fifth time in seven games that he's totaled six or more looks in a contest. With a 22.84% target share and 31.77% of the team's total air yards, the 26-year-old has a solid role in this offense, giving him a decent weekly floor in fantasy leagues, particularly in PPR. The Falcons will take on the Buccaneers in Week 8, a team that Kirk Cousins roasted for 508 yards through the air back in Week 5, with Mooney having his best performance of the season (9-105-2). While another 16 targets for Mooney likely isn't in the offing, the fifth-year pro will be involved plenty, especially with all the attention Drake London will command. The Bucs have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game and in Week 7 they allowed five passing TDs to the Ravens. The product out of Tulane projects as a high-end WR3 this week with WR2 upside in this enticing matchup.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has produced six consecutive games with at least six receptions while scoring a touchdown in five of seven overall. It is the kind of consistency fantasy managers look for in their top wideout, and this week brings a favorable matchup for the 23-year-old versus Tampa Bay. In Week 5, the 6-foot-4 receiver caught 12 of 13 targets for 154 yards and a score against the Buccaneers. The Bucs have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game and 11 receiving touchdowns on the season, although five of those were scored last week alone against the Ravens. Nevertheless, with London's 12 red zone targets thus far (second-most in NFL) and 26.7% target share, he'll be a mid-range WR1 in this matchup with a high floor and a high ceiling.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins posted another lackluster performance in Week 7 despite facing an undermanned Seattle defense, finishing as QB23 for the week after throwing more interceptions (2) than touchdown passes (1) for the third time in seven games. Looking ahead to Week 8, the 36-year-old has a chance to get back on track against a Tampa Bay team that he faced in Week 5 and completed 42 of 58 pass attempts for 508 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The Buccaneers have been vulnerable versus both the pass and the run this season, but are allowing 254.0 net pass YPG (fourth-worst) compared to 132.0 rush YPG (19th), and just yielded five touchdown passes to Lamar Jackson in Week 7. Without their top two receiving options, Tampa Bay could look to the ground game in this one, chewing up clock and limiting offensive opportunities for both teams more than they otherwise would have, so view the veteran quarterback as a volatile high end QB2 with QB1 upside in this matchup.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is coming off his biggest workload of the season so far (26 touches, 143 total yards) and the 22-year-old is averaging a solid 4.7 yards per rush through seven games. His Week 8 opponent, Tampa Bay, has been poor at stopping the run, yielding 5.3 yards per rush, which is third-worst in all of football. Despite this, teams have attacked Tampa Bay through the air, and in Week 5, Robinson totaled just 12 rush attempts against these same Buccaneers. Look for a slight uptick in workload since Kirk Cousins likely won't be throwing 58 passes this time around, and with at least three receptions in six of seven contests, the former first-round pick should be involved in the passing game regardless. Also keep in mind that running backs Derrick Henry and Justice Hill recorded touchdown receptions against the Bucs last week. With Tampa missing their top two receivers, this one has the look of a slower-paced contest which should keep the running backs busy, so trust Robinson as an RB1 again in Week 8, albeit a mid-range one.