2023 Atlanta Falcons Outlook

The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.

Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.

Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Atlanta Falcons Outlook.

— Quarterback —

Desmond Ridder

Ridder was a four-year starter in college who relied on his legs to make many plays (501/2,180/28). In 2021, he helped Cincinnati to an undefeated regular season (13-0) before bowing out to Alabama in the BCS Championship Series. He had growth in the passing game (3,334 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions) while finishing with a step back in rushing production (110/355/6 – 3.2 yards per carry). Over his final three seasons, Ridder went 33-4, with three losses coming against Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama.

His movements in the pocket and the run game have similarities to DeSean Watson, but Ridder doesn’t have the arm strength or accuracy in the deep passing game. He wants to throw first while having the speed and running ability to make chunk plays if Ridder sees an opening at the line of scrimmage. When in rhythm, he’ll make quick decisions over the short areas of the field. Cincinnati lined him up in the shotgun on most plays while using their back more at a safety outlet in the passing game rather than a play-action run threat. When asked to challenge a defense downfield, Ridder chose air over arm strength, which may be a problem in the NFL.

In his rookie season, the Falcons gave him four starts, leading to 764 combined yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His best showing came in Week 18 (233/2).

Fantasy Outlook: Atlanta already named Ridder their starter for 2023. The Falcons have three upside receiving options (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson), but they will rarely throw the ball more than 30 times in a game. Ridder helps his floor with his value in the run game while being on a path to throw the ball about 475 times if he makes 17 starts. He ranks 22nd at quarterback in late June in the high-stakes market. His starting projection should be around 3,500 combined yards and 25 touchdowns (20 passing and five rushing).
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Other Options: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Franks, Feleipe Franks

— Running Backs —

The Falcons’ ball carriers gained almost a full yard per carry (4.9) more than in 2020 (3.8) and 2021 (3.9). They finished with a gain of 105 carries, 850 yards, and five touchdowns over last year’s rushing stats. As a result, they had a sharp decline in catches (53), receiving yards (333), and targets (66). Their backs gained a combined 2,549 combined yards with 14 touchdowns and 53 catches, leading to 391.9 fantasy points in PPR formats (23.05 per game).

Bijan Robinson

Over 31 games at Texas, Robinson gained 4,215 combined yards with 41 touchdowns and 60 catches. The Longhorns gave him 277 touches in 2022, highlighted by his success in the run game (258/1,580/18). His best pass-catching opportunity came in 2021 (26/295/4). Robinson finished last season with three impact games (20/183/3 with one catch for 19 yards, 30/209/1 with two catches for 34 yards, and 25/243/4).

Robinson ran many of his plays out of the shotgun where he showed patience and a counterpuncher’s mentality. It’s hard to knock him off his feet with arm tackles below the belt. His ability to hesitate in the heat of a tackle leads to surprising plays in tight quarters. Robinson’s flow and movements in the passing game project at an elite level. When seeing daylight early, he hits the gas with the wiggles to make defenders miss at the second level of the defense. 

Fantasy Outlook: The fantasy world is in tune with the potential of Robinson in his rookie season based on his third ranking at running back in the high-stakes market. A high opportunity in the run game should be a given, even with Atlanta expected to rotate in a second back. His scoring power and value in the passing game are critical components to his final destination in fantasy scoring. In 2021, Desmond Ridder completed 34 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns to his running backs in college while attempting 387 passes. For now, I’ll set his bar at 325 touches with 1,800 combined yards, 10 scores, and 50 catches. 

Tyler Allgeier

Over his last two seasons at BYU, Allgeier gained 3,104 combined yards with 36 touchdowns and 42 catches on 468 touches. However, his explosiveness regressed in 2021 (5.8 yards per carry – 7.5 in 2020) after receiving a workhorse opportunity (276 rushes) in the run game. His value in the passing game improved over his final two years (14/174 and 28/199).

Allgeier brings size (5’11” and 225 lbs.) to the table, but his game isn’t built around power. He runs with vision while lacking fluidness in his runs and acceleration to make defenses pay for their makes at the first level. However, when given daylight in space, Allgeier will take what is given to him. He can succeed with volume of touches, and his value in the passing game should improve with more experience. 

In his rookie season with RB1 snaps for the Falcons, Allgeier gained 1,174 combined yards with four touchdowns and 16 catches on 226 touches. His best value came over his final four starts (70/431/2 with six catches for 52 yards). 

Fantasy Outlook: With some quick math based on last year’s stats in Atlanta, Allgeier should see…

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE FALCONS IN 2023?

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