Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London came into the NFL with plenty of pedigree and fantasy football promise, but he has yet to cash in on that potential. With Kirk Cousins signed this offseason, expectations are that London will notch his first 1,000-yard season and potentially double his career touchdown total.
You’re not alone in liking his trajectory for 2024; should you be willing to pay his current asking price?
Should You Select Drake London at His Current ADP?
ADP: 24th Overall (WR12)
I like London plenty, but so does everyone else, and his late second-round ADP (borderline WR1 status for a receiver with under 1,800 yards and just six scores total through two seasons) reflects as much. By drafting him in the range of Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, and Michael Pittman Jr., you’re leaving little room for a positive return on your investment.
Maybe I will warm on him as the preseason wears on and the QB situation is more certain, but as it stands right now, I’d prefer a similarly built receiver in Nico Collins who has more quarterback upside, or maybe the elevated floor of the aforementioned Pittman, both of whom are currently being drafted just after London.
Could London be a buy as he and Cousins look to develop a connection in the early going? There are a lot of moving pieces in this offense, and with a star running back in Bijan Robinson, who is easy to force-feed while the passing game is ironed out, it wouldn’t shock me if London’s September is a bit of a letdown.
Be patient if that’s the case — his price is a little prohibitive now, but managers are quick to overreact, and that could open up a buying window for those looking to play the long game.
London’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
It’s easy to look at the first-round pedigree and a situation that involves limited WR target competition alongside a talented tight end and draw the parallels to Justin Jefferson with a healthy Cousins in 2022 (128-1,809-8).
Let’s not get out of control here.
London is a good player with plenty of upside, but his route-running profile and skill set are not akin to Jefferson 2.0, so don’t set yourself up for failure by assuming as much.
The schedule runs out well for the Falcons and their two primary pass catchers (and potentially Cousins) to peak at the right time. Not only do they get a late bye (Week 12) and some forgiving secondaries down the stretch, but they also only have one game that could be impacted by weather after Thanksgiving.
- Week 13 vs. Chargers
- Week 14 at Vikings
- Week 15 at Raiders
- Week 16 vs. Giants
- Week 17 at Commanders
- Week 18 vs. Panthers
London out-earned Kyle Pitts 16-5 in the red zone last season — and until the talented tight end proves himself worthy of those valuable opportunities, we have to allocate plenty of scoring chances toward London.
Daily @DrakeLondon_ catch video pic.twitter.com/OUmBHTGHFf
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 14, 2024
The Falcons brought in some reinforcements at the wide receiver position in Darnell Mooney, but that’s more of an upside option from week-to-week than a serious threat in the target earning department. He should help the versatility of this offense, though I’m not worried about him taking opportunities away from London in a meaningful way.