The Falcons come into 2024 with a brand-new coach (Raheem Morris) and a new quarterback (Kirk Cousins). But the Falcons confounded everybody by drafting quarterback Michael Penix with the 8th pick of the first round after signing Cousins to a humongous offseason deal. While this should solidify their quarterback position for the next decade, it still left them with a big hole on defense, which they needed to fill if they want to make the playoffs.
It was a bit surprising to see Cousins leave Minnesota, but he couldn’t resist the allure and the bags of money that he got from the Falcons. Cousins is the best quarterback Atlanta has had since losing Matt Ryan, and now, with Cousins as their starter, it should allow star receiver Drake London to get to the next level. The biggest worry about Cousins is his recovery from a major injury, but it seems that he’s on target to start Week 1.
Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith barely gave the ball to Robinson last season, much to the ire of fantasy football managers. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson (formerly with the Rams) knows how to make sure that a lead running back gets enough touches, as we saw last year with Kyren Williams. Look for Robinson to have a breakthrough and be well worth a top-five overall pick in fantasy drafts this season.
Another potential breakthrough looks to be London. He is a mismatch on the outside, as he has terrific size, speed, and body control. Even the top cornerbacks find it hard to match up with him one-on-one because he’s just an enormous target. Kirk Cousins had all sorts of success with Justin Jefferson, and London could easily have about 130 targets, 1000 total receiving yards, and double-digit touchdowns.
Mooney never really got a great shot in Chicago, as he has been dealing with poor quarterback play ever since he came into the league. Now that he’s playing with Cousins in a Dome, he should be able to make a few big plays. I really like him in best ball formats.
Fantasy football managers have been calling Pitts a Unicorn ever since he came into the league, but with Arthur Smith not calling the proper plays, Pitts languished. Last season, he was splitting time with Jonnu Smith, but this year, he should have the job all to himself and can finally become a star. Fantasy Note: There’s a chance in high-stakes leagues that you’ll be able to stack either Robinson or London with Pitts and Cousins, which could be very fruitful toward the end of the season if Atlanta is making a playoff run.
For Atlanta to make the playoffs, their defense is going to have to play much better than it did last season. Moreover, Cousins is going to have to be fully healthy, and Bijan Robinson is going to have to be the star that we know he can be. Even if two of these things happen in Atlanta, it’s possible they sneak into the playoffs, but it’s hard to imagine them winning a playoff game if their defense doesn’t improve.
