Fantasy Football Player Notes

Last year, Bijan Robinson was the RB2 in fantasy points per game. For most of the season, he was pacing towards a 1,000-yard season for rushing and receiving before tailing off at the end of the season (820 receiving yards). Robinson was also crushed by the heavy usage of Tyler Allgeier near the goalline. Allgeier finished with eight rushing touchdowns, while Robinson had only 11 total touchdowns. Robinson had a pitiful 49.3% red zone rushing share (per Fantasy Points Data). With Allgeier and the previous coaching staff gone, Robinson should enjoy more usage near paydirt in 2026. Robinson was incredibly efficient with his workload last season, which is a reflection of his insane talent. He finished top-three among running backs (minimum 100 carries, 20 targets) in receiving yards per game, target share, yards per route run, first downs per route run, missed tackles forced per attempt, and yards after contact per attempt. Robinson is my favorite bet to be the RB1 overall in 2026.

I absolutely understand the concern regarding the Falcons' quarterback situation, but that won't stop me from drafting Drake London. London is a bet on talent that I'll continue to make. Despite Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins, London was cooking last year before a PCL injury derailed his season in Week 11. In Weeks 1-10 last year, London was the WR6 in fantasy points per game. During that stretch, he was fourth in target share (30.3%), fourth in receiving yards per game (86.4), sixth in yards per route run (2.74), fifth in first-read share (37.6%), and seventh in first downs per route run (0.135, per Fantasy Points Data). London should be a locked-in WR1 this season with top-five upside if the quarterback situation works itself out.

Last year, Kyle Pitts had a tale of two seasons. Yes, overall it was a wonderful year as the TE5 in fantasy points per game and easily his best statistical season since his rookie year, but it was wildly different with Drake London in and out of the lineup. Without London, Pitts had a 26.7% target share with 84.4 receiving yards per game, 2.81 yards per route run, a 27.8% first-read share, 0.120 first downs per route run, and 19 fantasy points per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Those are all elite numbers, and if Pitts had put up those stats all year, especially the fantasy points per game, he would have been the TE1 for fantasy. The problem is that with Drake London active, Pitts had a 19% target share, 42.2 receiving yards per game, 1.43 yards per route run, a 20.2% first-read share, 0.093 first downs per route run, and 9.6 fantasy points per game. All of those per route metrics were still quite strong, but the fantasy points per game mark would have made Pitts the TE20 last year. With Kevin Stefanski in town and a passing attack that boils down to London and Pitts at the top alongside Bijan Robinson, the reality of Pitts' 2026 projection falls somewhere in the middle of all of this. He's a strong TE1 that still has top-five upside if Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. can give Atlanta at least league-average quarterback play all season.

Brian Robinson Jr. is quietly one of the best handcuffs in football. If Bijan Robinson were to miss any time, he'd be the team's every-down back with only Tyler Goodson and Nathan Carter behind him on the depth chart. I doubt he has much standalone value this season, so if you're drafting him, it's for his handcuff upside only. Last year, when he was on the field for the 49ers, he posted a solid 4.3% explosive run rate and 2.46 yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). If Bijan Robinson were knocked out of the lineup, Brian Robinson Jr. would be a top 24 back immediately with RB1 upside in any week.

Zachariah Branch enters Atlanta with a clear opportunity to carve out an immediate role behind Drake London in a thin Falcons WR room. The explosive rookie thrives with the ball in his hands, leading the nation in screen targets while showcasing elite open-field ability and dynamic YAC skills. His fit alongside Tua Tagovailoa makes plenty of sense stylistically, especially in an offense that could manufacture touches for him early. Although his smaller frame may cap his ceiling, Branch has intriguing upside if he can quickly secure the Falcons' No. 2 WR role.

The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a cheap one-year deal after he was released by the Dolphins, who still owe him $54 million in guaranteed money. After averaging 269.2 passing yards per game for the Dolphins over 41 starts from 2022 through 2024, Tua averaged 190.0 passing yards over 14 starts in Miami last season. He also threw a career-high 15 interceptions and fumbled eight times. Tua will battle Michael Penix Jr. for playing time in 2026 and should probably be considered the favorite to start in Week 1 since Penix tore his ACL in November. Tua can't match the arm strength of Penix, but Tua has enjoyed a level of NFL success than Penix has yet to reach, helping to make Mike McDaniel's offense work in Miami. For fantasy, Tua figures to go undrafted in 1QB leagues this season but is a reasonable QB3 option in superflex formats.

Michael Penix Jr.'s second NFL season came to a premature end when he tore his left ACL against the Panthers in Week 11. Penix tore his right ACL twice during his college career and has to be regarded as a major injury risk going forward. Although the Falcons were 3-6 in his nine 2025 starts, Penix offered a few encouraging signs last year, averaging a respectable 7.2 yards per pass attempt and posting an ultra-low 1.1% interception rate. But Penix threw only nine TD passes in his nine starts. The rocket-armed Penix will have to battle veteran Tua Tagovailoa for playing time in Atlanta this season. Penix isn't draftable in 1QB leagues but is a late-round option in superflex leagues.

Atlanta starts the year at Pittsburgh and at home versus the Panthers. Decent spot for an underrated unit that was a fringe top 12 unit in 2025. However without LB Jalon Walker and second-year EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr., it's more desperation. After the initial projections loved love Atlanta as an underrated unit (second in projected sacks) they have fallen outside the top-10 in projected sacks.