Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London has the talent to be a true WR1 in the NFL, but will a run-heavy scheme and some uncertainty at the QB position prevent him from breaking out for fantasy football in 2023?
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Drake London’s Fantasy Outlook for the 2023 NFL Season
London and Kyle Pitts both find themselves in a very precarious position heading into this season.
One on hand, both are elite-level prospects who are capable of being the top option in a handful of passing attacks across the league.
On the other hand, no one is quite certain what to expect from the Falcons’ passing game. No team ran the ball more than Atlanta in 2022, and they have a second-year QB Desmond Ridder starting under center heading into the season.
.@DrakeLondon_ already making plays for the @atlantafalcons in Year 2️⃣
📱: Stream #CINvsATL on #NFLPlus https://t.co/L9mPiySUki pic.twitter.com/a7uUnd5dng
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2023
London has a skill set that reminds me a lot of Mike Evans. His catch radius and body control for a WR that size aren’t common.
Another thing that is uncommon is for a rookie to see a target share all the way up to 29%. Now, could the fact that Pitts was injured some of last year played a role in that stat? Sure.
London’s averages with Pitts in and out of the lineup are worth peeking at.
- With Pitts: 5.8 targets, 3.5 receptions, 37 yards, and 4 total TDs.
- Without Pitts: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 70 yards, and 0 TDs.
The TDs are always a bit tricky to predict, but London’s production was definitely better across the board when Pitts wasn’t around to steal targets.
Now add Bijan Robinson into the fold, who was a capable threat out of the backfield in college, and the target share may be a little tricky to project for London.
Is London a Good Fantasy Pick?
London comes with top-10 upside at the WR position and is a great WR prospect, but unfortunately, potential doesn’t score you points in fantasy football.
Which puts fantasy managers in a tough position on draft day.
Do you trust the talent to overcome a shaky QB situation?
Or do you avoid the risk of investing in Ridder, a Falcons offense that wants to run the ball early and often, and another top pass-catching prospect to steal a lot of looks away from London?
Personally, I’d rather invest in some of the other talented WRs in this range than trust the Falcons’ passing game to produce a top-20 option at WR.
- PFN Consensus: 60th overall
- ADP: 59th overall