This is a comically irresponsible prediction from a medical doctor about a player recovering from his third ACL injury (two to his right knee in college, one to his left knee last season). Despite limited practice involvement due to multiple past ACL injuries, Michael Penix Jr. remains expected to start the majority of games this season after averaging 13.7 Fantasy Points Per Game. Tua Tagovailoa takes the field first in the preseason opener, but his slim edge and historical 7.9 Accuracy Rating offer minimal job security.
Expect a volatile workload split driven by health and performance setting up a nightmare scenario for fantasy gamers, which will inevitably affect the skill position players in Atlanta from Bijan Robinson to Drake London to Kyle Pitts. Stay as far away from this QB room as possible and be sure to draft Gibbs over Bijan per the PlayerProfiler rankings.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London is already ...
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London is carrying more ...
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday...
What a mess. Adam Schefter reported that Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with back tightness, and soon after, the Falcons signed Cooper Rush for depth. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. was seen Wednesday practicing in seven-on-seven drills but told local media that it would be another “another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage.”
On July 31, 2026, Falcons beat writer Marc Raimondi reported that Tua Tagovailoa “did a walkthrough period at about half speed this morning.” Though NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Tagovailoa will “likely start” Week 1 for the Falcons, this is the ultimate stayaway quarterback room in all fantasy football formats.
Drake London‘s projection is holding for now, but he needs baseline competence from the QB position to produce Top-10 WR fantasy numbers.
The Atlanta Falcons have a full-blown quarterback competition on their hands, but Tua Tagovailoa has the upper hand to start Week 1 over Michael Penix Jr. due to his precise historical profile. Head coach Kevin Stefanski values accuracy above all else, aligning with Tagovailoa’s 73.4-percent True Completion Percentage (No. 12) rather than Penix’s career 59.6-percent completion rate.
While both lefties will see the field this year, fantasy managers drafting in dynasty superflex formats should lean into Tagovailoa if managing win-now teams. On the other hand, Penix Jr. continues to offer more long-term upside.
The Atlanta Falcons locked up Kyle Pitts on a one-year franchise tag worth $15 million, keeping him in town after he logged an elite 90.4-percent Route Participation rate and a 22.7-percent Target Share last season. Despite early-offseason trade speculation under new leadership, the team is positioning him as the clear No. 2 option in the passing game behind Drake London.
Pitts projects to be a rock-solid TE1 following a 2025 campaign where he garnered 118 targets and 88 receptions. Earning a healthy extension at just 25.7 years old, Pitts is particularly attractive assets in fantasy football tight end premium dynasty leagues.
The Falcons are preparing to open training camp without Michael Penix Jr., as the coaching staff maintains a patient “no rush” approach to his recovery. Although leadership suggests he is in a “good spot,” there is no definitive timeline for his return beyond a general hope for availability later in the preseason. According to Ryan, Atlanta expects Penix to be healthy “at some point in training camp.”
As a result, Tua Tagovailoa is currently acting as the primary quarterback and will likely start Week 1 if the Falcons continue to slow-play Penix’s recovery. Both Penix and Tagovailoa were Top-10 picks, but the organization is invested in Penix, while Tua was signed off the NFL scrap heap. Penix’s absence from camp is a buy low opportunity in superflex dynasty leagues.
Monday Night Football features the Rams at the Falcons, and fantasy managers are wringing their hands over whether to start Davante Adams and Drake London. Depending on which side of the fence you’re on, there is good news and bad news.
The good news for London managers is that Atlanta’s star wideout, listed as questionable all week, expects to play on MNF per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. London had said earlier this week that although the team is eliminated, he wants to play all the football he can rather than wait until next season.
The news for Adams is not as good. He is currently listed as doubtful, generally a precursor to being ruled out by gametime. This will mark his second-straight game, with hopes to return Week 18, though that is of little consolation to fantasy managers with a championship on the line this week.
Fantasy lowdown: London is said not to be limited in the game, barring any exacerbation of his knee injury. The only ripple effect could be the need to temper expectations of tight end Kyle Pitts, although he remains one of Kirk Cousins’ preferred targets.
The Rams seem to have stumbled onto the “Davante of the future” in rookie wide receiver Konata Mumpfield. Mumpfield has earned the trust of coaches who have lauded his physical attributes and work ethic. Fantasy Managers on the hunt for a start-worthy piece in a high-scoring affair could do much worse than Mumpfield, as Puke Nacua will have his hands full with Falcons DB A.J. Terrell.
Author: Samwise (@BuyAndSellYou)
