Who won Falcons RB battle between Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier, Damien Williams

One of the position battles playing out this summer is the backfield for the Atlanta Falcons. As a team in the midst of a rebuild, it might not surprise you to learn that there isn’t really one standout player in this group. Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson is the most notable of the bunch, but he’s turned 31 in March. Offseason acquisition Damien Williams looks more like a spare part. However, rookie Tyler Allgeier, a fifth-round pick out of Bringham Young, is someone definitely worth keeping on your radar.

Verdict

Patterson will be the starter, officially, but don’t expect a heavy workload for the veteran, especially in the ground game. He’ll be more of a contributor in the passing game, as you might expect. Allgeier is, by all accounts, the one to watch here. The expectation is that as the season goes on, Allgeier’s workload will increase, and he’s projected to be the No. 2 behind Patterson when the season opens. Williams is most likely battling for the third spot o the depth chart.

Fantasy football implications

Patterson has more value for fantasy football lineups to start the season. And because he’s so good as a receiver out of the backfield, he’ll have an impact on a rebuilding team that’s likely going to be playing from behind often this year. At some point, the workload on the first two downs is probably going to fall mostly on Allgeier, but how much the Falcons will be able to run the ball could be an issue for his fantasy contributions. Williams is worth keeping an eye on in case of injuries.

Preseason Stats

Allgeier has 42 yards on nine carries through the preseason so far. Patterson sat out the first two games of the exhibition season.