The Falcons trio of Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, and Bijan Robinson will have fantasy gamers rejoicing for the foreseeable future.
Having a 36 year old quarterback sure can make a team look older than it is. The Falcons struggled through Kirk Cousins not being able to fully recover from his Achilles injury in 2025.
The Falcons made the switch to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for the final 3 games of the 2024 season. Fantasy gamers got a glimpse of what the future holds for the Falcons. In a shootout with the Carolina Panthers, Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, and Bijan Robinson all had monster performances. It was the first time in NFL history that a team had a 300-yard passer, 175-yard receiver, and 150-yard rusher with all three players being under the age of 25.
In 2025 drafts, expect Bijan Robinson to be drafted early in the first round. Drake London will be tough to keep out of round 1 after his 40.7 point outburst. Michael Penix Jr. will be a sensical and easy selection to complete Falcons stacks in best ball. Despite the non-linear route it took to get here, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic in fantasy football for Falcons players.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has ...
The Atlanta Falcons shocked the world in this year's NFL ...
The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael ...
Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London showed chemistry that will have fantasy gamers locking into the duo in 2025.
The future in Atlanta looks bright for the Falcons. Drake London ended his season with a massive performance. Rookie Michael Penix Jr. showed great chemistry with London in a 44-38 losing effort to the division rival Carolina Panthers.
Drake London dropped a 40.7 point performance which was good for the WR-1 overall on the week. Drake London was a target hog with 18 and came away with 10 receptions for 187 yards. Michael Penix 2 touchdown passes landed in the hands of London. The rookie quarterback also rushed in for a score himself. Penix will have a QB-7 performance in week 18 to build off into the 2025 season.
Drake London and Michael Penix Jr. are strong buys in dynasty. Drake London was a 1-2 turn pick in 2024 for redraft and best ball. London, who finished as the WR-10 in fantasy will offer a dip from his 2024 average draft position, however the chemistry displayed with Michael Penix Jr. in a 40.7 point performance will keep his price in the early single digit rounds.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
Amidst the shuffling at the quarterback position, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to move on from Kirk Cousins this offseason.
Adam Schefter reports that the Atlanta Falcons are set to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins prior to his $10 million roster bonus due March 17. The anticipated move is an outright release which would grant Cousins free agency status.
The Falcons signed the veteran quarterback in the offseason to a 4-year, $180 million contract. The move at the time was viewed through the scope of the Falcons having done their due diligence on Kirk Cousins’ recovery from his Achilles injury. What drew plenty of consternation and bewilderment was when the Falcons followed up in the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th pick in the first round.
The fallout as to who loses their job over this mismanagement of money remains to be seen. In the meantime, Michael Penix Jr. will be given every opportunity to show he is the quarterback of the future. With free agency status, Kirk Cousins will have many paths available to him. Due to the nature of Cousins’ poor play and injury recovery, a Russell Wilson path as a starter on a team in transition on a low budget deal looks enticing. The Cleveland Browns are a team that comes to the forefront in a scenario like that.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
Amid struggles of quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons are making a change to Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons are making a big change at quarterback. With Kirk Cousins struggling to move the ball and complete passes to his own teammates, the Falcons announced they will be starting rookie Michael Penix Jr. in week 16 versus the New York Giants.
Michael Penix Jr. was drafted 8th overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. At the time, the move was met with curiosity and plenty of raised eyebrows. After securing Kirk Cousins with a 4-year, $180 million contract the Falcons front office was met with plenty of incredulity.
Michael Penix will provide an instant boost to the passing game. His cannon of a left arm will give life to Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and hopefully resuscitate tight end Kyle Pitts. Kirk Cousins showed in recent weeks that he was unable to drive through is lower body to add zip to his passes. This will not be a problem for Michael Penix.
The Falcons offense will get a massive boost. Penix’s ability to sling the football will make life easier for Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier out of the backfield. Fire up all Falcons in week 16 versus the Giants.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
The Atlanta Falcons are fighting for a playoff spot and have flexibility to start rookie Michael Penix Jr. if needed.
Kirk Cousins had a disaster of a day Sunday versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The calls for Michael Penix Jr. to take over the starting role in Atlanta are growing louder by the hour.
Kirk Cousins threw 4 backbreaking interceptions in a losing effort to the Chargers. The narrow 17-13 loss could be a key differentiator for seeding come playoff time. The loss drops the Falcons to a tie in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2.1 fantasy point performance is difficult to forgive, yet easy for fantasy gamers to either bench or cut Kirk Cousins. For real life implications in the NFL, the Falcons may feel it is just as easy to bench Kirk Cousins with Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings.
Ironically, Kirk Cousins is set to face the Minnesota Vikings who he played for the last 6 seasons. While a change may occur this week, there is a chance that the Minnesota game allows Kirk Cousins one more opportunity to take over his opponent’s trap. This is a situation to fluidly monitor. The big takeaway is that Michael Penix Jr. dynasty shares are close to being alive and that he should be picked up off of all Superflex waiver wires in redraft leagues.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
The 2024 Falcons are showing signs of having chemistry on and off the field.
Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi reports that quarterback Kirk Cousins is staying in the same room as fellow quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Michael Penix Jr. Of note, the trio is also rooming with tight end Kyle Pitts.
While Cousins is making jokes about the temperature setting with his roommates, it is good hearing that core offensive players are spending the maximum amount of time together while at training camp. Kyle Pitts is smart to stick around his quarterbacks as all he wants this year are targets en masse.
Currently, Kyle Pitts goes at the 5-6 turn on UnderDog while Kirk Cousins is going in round 13. For custodian builds and superflex contests, Michael Penix Jr. is a free pick in round 18. Investing in the Falcons offense will prove to be profitable in 2024.
