Our Atlanta Falcons 2023 Fantasy Preview gives you the run down on the teams outlook going into the season. The Falcons seem to be mid-way through their rebuild with Bijan Robinson joining their young offensive pieces in place (Drake London & Kyle Pitts)
Notable Offseason Moves
Additions
- Taylor Heinicke (QB)
- Mack Hollins (WR)
- Scott Miller (WR)
- Jonnu Smith (TE)
Departures
- Marcus Mariota (QB)
- Olamide Zaccheaus (WR)
- MyCole Pruitt (TE)
Draft Recap
The Falcons added the best RB in the class, and arguably one of the better players in the draft in Bijan Robinson. With the strength of their offensive line, which was added to with tackle Matthew Bergeron in the second round, and the commitment to the run. Outside of that, the team added on the defensive side of the ball with the exception of a 7th round selection on a depth OL piece.
Positional Previews
Notable Players- Desmond Ridder & Taylor Heinicke
Ridder looks likely to start the season for the Falcons as they look to see what he can offer this offense full of young stars. He saw limited action last season as he sat behind Marcus Mariota, and looked like he could support this offense. However, behind this line with a strong running game, he has a good opportunity here.
If he struggles, then we have veteran gunslinger Heinicke waiting in the wings. He was great for fantasy last year in Washington, supporting multiple players through the air
Notable Players- Bijan Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson & Tyler Allgeier
There is no doubt that Robinson is hugely talented. Possibly the best RB talent for the past few years. The Falcons were committed to the run last season, with their offensive line performing well to find gaps. It’s hard to see Robinson being anything other than an RB1 with the volume of touches he is going to get. How high he finishes will be dependent on how many times he gets into the endzone.
Outside of Robinson, this backfield is likely to be split between Patterson and Allgeier. Of the two, I’d lean to Patterson, as he has shown his ability in the offense and is more likely to see more work in the passing game, which helps in PPR leagues. However, it’s not a huge gap between the two in my eyes. If Robinson were to miss time then I think it would be Allgeier that would see a larger share of the backfield touches.
Notable Players- Drake London, Mack Hollins & Scott Miller
Like alot of the Falcons depth chart, this is another case of a top talent (London) and then the others. London is the clear primary receiver on the offense and should be commanding the largest target share. With that target share, even on a run-first offense, he should be able to get around 1,000 yards if he stays healthy. That volume through the air should give him a solid floor week to week, and his ability to make plays should give him a nice ceiling.
Outside of London, you are really only looking at waiver wire fodder. Mack Hollins popped a few times last season for the Raiders, but that was mainly when other receiving options were unavailable. Equally, the addition of Miller is more likely to be an impact for team in real life, rather than for fantasy. In his time in Tampa Bay he was looked to at key moments to keep the chains moving.
Notable Players- Kyle Pitts & Jonnu Smith
Pitts hasn’t hit the heights that were hoped for when he was selected at the top of the 2021 draft. His rookie season he managed to have over 1,000 yards, but couldn’t hit near that mark last season as he struggled and missed some time. But, given the Falcons lack of receiving talent, he should be getting over 100 targets in this offense and a strong candidate to have a strong season.
The addition of Jonnu Smith doesn’t really do much for me, other than likely make me curse him during the season when he pops for a TD or two. I can see him being used more to block, which should free up Pitts to work as a receiver.
Team Projections
NOTE: Not all players are stated out
Quarterbacks
| Name | Pass Cmp | Pass Att | Pass Yards | Pass TDs | Pass INTs | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Desmond Ridder | 239 | 386 | 2,566 | 13 | 12 | 72 | 290 | 2 |
Taylor Heinicke | 81 | 131 | 867 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 55 | - |
Running Backs
| Name | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Targets | Recs | Rec Yards | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bijan Robinson | 290 | 1,217 | 9 | 52 | 39 | 273 | 1 |
Cordarrelle Patterson | 72 | 333 | 4 | 52 | 37 | 352 | 2 |
Wide Receivers
| Name | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Targets | Recs | Rec Yards | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drake London | - | - | - | 131 | 87 | 1,044 | 5 |
Mack Hollins | - | - | - | 52 | 30 | 360 | 3 |
Scott Miller | - | - | - | 42 | 24 | 192 | 1 |
Tight Ends
| Name | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Targets | Recs | Rec Yards | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyle Pitts | - | - | - | 104 | 78 | 1,053 | 6 |
Jonnu Smith | - | - | - | 52 | 34 | 340 | 1 |
