Every fantasy season, it seems tempting to select the young receiver with little competition for targets who is primed for an absolute breakout, fantasy league championship-winning season. Sure, he may not be on a great team or have a proven quarterback, but maybe all of those question marks will somehow come together to form a positive offensive environment.
That was the mantra that fantasy managers who drafted Falcons wide receiver Drake London repeated to themselves throughout the weeks after fantasy draft day that led up to the start of last year’s NFL regular season. In 2023, London was selected around the fifth or sixth round in most drafts, usually ranked in the mid-twenties among wide receivers, but disappointed fantasy managers with a WR37 finish in PPR scoring.
This year, however, London is ranked higher than he was in 2023. He is currently being drafted inside the top-15 at his position regularly. To those unfamiliar with London’s fantasy outlook, production, and overall situation over the past few years, this ranking may seem a bit confusing or even undeserved. It’s time to set the record straight.
Player Profile - 6’4” 213 lbs
Drake London became the first receiver selected in the 2022 NFL Draft after the Atlanta Falcons selected the former USC Trojan with the eighth overall selection. Throughout his 27 career college games at USC, London logged 160 receptions, 2,153 receiving yards, and 15 receiving touchdowns.
London’s best traits are within the physical side of the game. His strong hands and elite catch radius allow him to make spectacular catches. London’s huge frame helps him to win physically against press coverage and to dominate down the field against smaller corners. His phenomenal athleticism makes him a great route runner, allowing him to run crisp and physical routes.
Overall, London is a mismatch on the football field and a nightmare matchup for opposing defenders. He has the potential to become one of the best receivers in the entire NFL.
Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder
It’s no secret that the Atlanta Falcons have had poor quarterback play over Drake London’s first few seasons in the NFL. In 2022, Marcus Mariota threw for 2,219 yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions before being replaced by a then-rookie Desmond Ridder with four games left in the regular season.
London had a solid rookie season and led the team with 866 receiving yards that year. However, Mariota and the offense’s struggles led to London being the only pass-catcher to record over 600 receiving yards. Change was coming in Atlanta.
The Falcons needed a new quarterback. Fortunately for them, Ridder did enough to put himself in a position to win the starting job in 2023. However, the former Cincinnati Bearcat struggled, throwing for 2,836 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Ridder had a hard time finding consistency and timing throughout the 15 games he played last season.
He was eventually replaced by backup Taylor Heinicke for a portion of the season and the two quarterbacks were swapped back and forth for the remainder of the campaign.
As for London, his 905 receiving yards led the team once again in 2023. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s poor and inconsistent quarterback play once again kept the young wideout from reaching his full potential. He had a solid season, putting together some good film with his route-running and some phenomenal catches, but his production left many wondering how high Drake London’s ceiling really is.
Kirk Cousins to Atlanta - Why This Makes Sense
Kirk Cousins officially signed with the Atlanta Falcons on the first day of NFL free agency this offseason. The two sides came to an agreement quickly, and this made sense. Atlanta needed a quarterback, and Cousins was the top option available in free agency. The four-year, $180 million contract ties Cousins to Atlanta through the 2027 NFL season.
Looking at the statistics, Kirk Cousins was playing some of his best football before going down with a torn Achilles during the Vikings’ Week 8 matchup against Green Bay. His accuracy was on full display through the eight games that he was active for. Cousins logged an on-target throw percentage of 82.2%, second-best in the NFL in 2023.
On top of that, he had a poor throw percentage of only 12.8%, that mark was the 30th lowest in the NFL. Through the seven full games before his injury, Cousins was on pace to record almost 5,000 passing yards, 39 passing touchdowns, and only 12 interceptions. He was also completing an impressive 69.5% of his passes.
The Falcons were in desperate need of consistency and accuracy under center. Kirk Cousins brings this and much more to the table as he now gets a great supporting cast to work with. Bijan Robinson was one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL last year and is a great runner and receiver. He figures to take a huge step forward in his sophomore season after a stellar inaugural campaign. Kyle Pitts was selected fourth overall by the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft.
While he hasn’t totally lived up to the lofty expectations, he hasn’t had the best quarterback situation to start off his career. We’ve gone over Drake London, who now gets the boost of a huge offensive upgrade in Cousins. Since joining the Vikings in 2018, Kirk Cousins has had at least one of his wide receivers record over 1,100 receiving yards every single season (besides 2023 due to Cousins’ injury).
The final piece of this explosive puzzle is the offensive line. In 2023, Desmond Ridder was only pressured on 19.4% of his dropbacks, which was below league average. Everything is in position for Cousins and the Falcons to have a breakthrough in 2024.
The Path to Success for London
Before we go any further, it’s worth mentioning the Falcons’ new hires on their coaching staff. Head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson take over the Falcons after both spent several years working together under Sean McVay on the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff. Morris is more of a defensive-minded coach, having spent several years as both a defensive position coach and a defensive coordinator for multiple teams across college and the NFL.
Robinson was most recently the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Rams. Morris recently compared Robinson to some of the best offensive minds in the game, including Sean McVay.
Taking a look at the Rams’ recipe for success, Los Angeles had a fairly balanced attack on offense, ranking 13th in both pass attempts per game and rush attempts per game in 2023. In contrast, the Falcons ranked 25th in pass attempts per game and 4th in rush attempts per game this past season. This was reflected in the statistics; Desmond Ridder, Atlanta’s main quarterback, only averaged 25.9 pass attempts per game. That number was ranked 33rd in 2023.
There is no doubt that with this change in the coaching staff, there will be a shift in offensive philosophy. Drake London will benefit from this head coaching change and there is no doubt that the Falcons will look to pass the ball more, especially with their new quarterback making $45 million per year to do just that.
With this expected increase in passing volume, we can revisit some of London’s advanced statistics to find plenty of reasons for excitement in 2024 fantasy football. Drake London’s average target share through his first two seasons is 25.5%. He logged a target share of 21.7% in 2023 and an astounding 29.3% during his rookie season in 2022.
While this number dipped a bit during this past season, it was still above players such as Amari Cooper, DeVonta Smith, Nico Collins, Deebo Samuel Sr., Courtland Sutton, and Jaylen Waddle.
London also received 16 red zone targets in 2023, tied for ninth among NFL receivers, during the 2023 NFL season. However, this only resulted in two touchdowns. With improved quarterback play, London should receive higher-quality red zone targets. He is a great candidate to have a boost in red zone and touchdown production in 2024, making him a great target in fantasy football drafts.
Conclusion
It’s easy to see why Drake London is set up for success in 2024. Many elements of London’s situation have been improved upon, from the coaching staff to the guy who’s throwing the football. He is an extremely talented receiver who now finds himself in the best position that he’s ever been in on the Falcons.
London is the top target on an offense that will be able to pass the ball with efficiency and volume. In fantasy drafts, the high-ceiling receiver is worth a middle or later second-round pick. Expect an increase in production from London with Kirk Cousins under center.
The Falcons’ offensive weapons won’t be held back by inconsistent or poor quarterback play any longer. It’s time to take this team seriously again.
