The NFL season is quickly approaching and fantasy drafts are in full swing. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
Below, I take a look at the fantasy value of all the players in the Atlanta Falcons’ backfield.
Atlanta Falcons Backfield
The Falcons are hoping to be one of the NFL’s most exciting offenses this season. They have exciting weapons like Drake London and Kyle Pitts, a young quarterback with loads of potential in Michael Penix Jr. and one of the best players in the sport, Bijan Robinson. Last season, the Falcons were an exciting team to watch, but between some defensive shortcomings and a decline in play from Kirk Cousins late in the season, they missed out on the postseason. Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins for the final three games of the season and showed how special he could be as an NFL quarterback. After a full offseason with Penix as the QB1, this offense should come out firing on all cylinders this season.
Bijan Robinson cemented himself as one of the best offensive players in the NFL last season. He was a highly touted prospect out of Texas and was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Since 2018, the only running backs drafted in the top 10 have been Saquon Barkley, Robinson and Ashton Jeanty. Robinson had a strong rookie season, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and playing a big role in the passing game. However, in his sophomore season, he set the league on fire. Robinson combined for 1,887 rushing and receiving yards, the fourth-most in the NFL behind only Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs. It should be another massive season for Robinson with the Falcons returning so many pieces from last season.
Running Back Handcuffs: Tyler Allgeier
One of the best traits that Bijan Robinson has exhibited so far in his NFL career is availability. Robinson has played all 17 games in both seasons of his NFL career. While this shows that he is taking care of his body and has great durability, injuries happen in the NFL. If Robinson were to miss any time, Tyler Allgeier would be the man to step up to the RB1 role. Allgeier has spent three seasons with the Falcons since being a fifth-round draft pick of theirs in 2022. He was a 1,000-yard rusher for Atlanta in his rookie season, but once Robinson was drafted, he took a backseat. However, Allgeier has proven to be one of the better backup running backs in the league. Despite Robinson playing 17 games each of the past two seasons, Allgeier has rushed for over 600 yards in each of those seasons.
Despite playing a clear backup role to Robinson, Allgeier has given the Falcons value. The best way to keep a player like Bijan Robinson healthy is by lightening his load whenever possible. If a game is a blowout or if Robinson isn’t feeling 100%, the Falcons know they can trust Allgeier to not make mistakes and keep the ball moving forward. Allgeier lacks some of Robinson’s absurd athleticism and strength in the receiving game, but he is a great runner between the tackles. He is the perfect handcuff for Bijan Robinson because he can produce as a backup, and if ever given the chance to take the starting role for even a game, he should put up solid numbers and keep Robinson owners afloat.
