After two weeks of the NFL season, I discussed whether it was time to panic about Drake London’s fantasy outlook. He has been somewhat underwhelming in Michael Penix Jr.s first full season as the starting quarterback.
Week 3 is complete, and the same question remains for London. The star wide receiver finished with five receptions for 55 yards and did not score a touchdown for the third straight week. Is it time to call London a first-round bust, or can fantasy owners give him some more time to return to form?
London finished last season with 100 receptions for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked fourth in yards and ninth in receptions and touchdowns. It was a breakout year for the third-year pro. He was projected to continue his excellence in year four, especially since he played well with Penix in the final three games of 2024.
It’s been the opposite in 2025, however. London has been fairly disappointing for a first-round fantasy draft pick. He posted eight catches for 55 yards, three for 49 and five for 55 in the first three weeks of the regular season. He also hasn’t scored a touchdown yet.
The yards and receptions aren’t a major issue since London had similar numbers to start last season. The main difference is that he’s not scoring the ball. Through the first three weeks in 2024, he caught 14-of-19 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. In 2025, he’s caught 16-of-27 targets for 159 yards and zero touchdowns.
London isn’t the issue, nor is the offense. He’s still the No. 1 receiver on the team and is earning more targets this year than he did last year through three weeks. So, what/who is the problem?
Penix. He’s completing 58.6 percent of his passes in 2025, which is on par with his 58.1 percent rate in 2024. The second-year quarterback has 605 passing yards, two interceptions and one touchdown through three weeks in 2025. Atlanta even benched him for Kirk Cousins against the Panthers.
Penix has played eight games and started six in his NFL career so far. It’s still a small sample size, but he has 1,380 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions on a 58.3 percent completion rate (119/204). He needs to drastically improve his accuracy to keep his starting job and for London to be an elite wide receiver.
While Cousins didn’t have the best 2024 season, he still completed 66.9 percent of his passes. The league average in 2025 is 65.2 percent, and Penix lands at 58.6 percent, ranking 29th in the NFL. It’s not a good look for the Falcons or London.
If Cousins takes over the starting job, London’s fantasy numbers should increase. The veteran quarterback has been relatively accurate throughout his career, especially compared to how Penix has started.
If Penix can’t improve his accuracy, London will be labeled a first-round fantasy bust, even if he’s not the main problem.