The Atlanta Falcons will face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Falcons skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 14 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Kirk Cousins, QB
The revenge narrative is fun, but that’s about it. Kirk Cousins is riding the struggle bus these days at such a level that I had “how many bad decisions can one man make” jotted down as my in-game notes for the Falcons in Week 13.
Since 2011, only twice has a QB completed 18 passes with at least one interception and zero touchdown passes in three straight games: Case Keenum (2018) and Kirk Cousins (2024). In those games, Cousins’ 104 attempts have resulted in zero scores and six interceptions.
We see quarterbacks struggle all the time, but this is why we prioritize athletic QBs. If Jalen Hurts was sailing passes, there’s a decent chance that his fantasy box score wouldn’t suffer in a major way. The same train of thought applies to Josh Allen. Even players like Justin Herbert, Brock Purdy, and Baker Mayfield have shown the propensity to add value with their legs and thus erase any concerns that come through the air.
That’s not an option for Cousins (20 carries for zero yards this season), and that’s why I can justify starting him in anything but the deepest of leagues. He has one finish better than QB15 since Week 5, and with the Vikings allowing the fourth-fewest red-zone drives per game, this is a thin profile, to say the least.
Bijan Robinson, RB
Bijan Robinson opened last week with a 15-yard run on Atlanta’s first snap and, by the end of two drives, he already had 10 touches and a score on the stat sheet. He finished with a season-high 32 touches against a strong Chargers defense, recording a 10+ yard rush and catch for the fourth time in his past five games.
It’s happening.
The usage and the production. The Falcons are leaning into their game-changing talent, and Robinson has rewarded them with six top-10 finishes over his past seven games. Imagine if the passing game demands respect. Kirk Cousins has five interceptions and zero touchdown passes over Atlanta’s past two games, a pair of games in which the star running back has averaged under one yard per carry before contact in both of those contests.
There are few players I fear more in space than Robinson and Minnesota’s aggressive style of defense leaves them open to some spots where they will need to get him on the ground in space.
Good luck with that.
I’m fine with labeling Robinson as a DFS building block, especially if we see Saquon Barkley (vs. CAR) and De’Von Achane (vs. NYJ) chew up ownership among the expensive backs.
Tyler Allgeier, RB
Last week against the Chargers is basically spot-on with what we are expecting from Tyler Allgeier these days. He was on the field for 31.2% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps in the loss, not drastically different than his season rate (27.2%), and he got his hands on the ball nine times.
He did virtually nothing with his chances on Sunday (22 yards), and that is why he’s struggled to hold stand-alone value when playing alongside Bijan Robinson. The versatility in his profile has dried up (37 carries against two targets over his past five games), and that makes him an awfully tough sell, even in deeper formats.
When looking at the Kirk Cousins Bowl this week, the outlook doesn’t paint an optimistic picture. Through 13 weeks, the Vikings are one of four defenses allowing under four yards per carry to running backs, making a repeat of Week 12 very possible. If you’re playing Allgeier, you’re assuming a lot of risk with little payoff — that’s not exactly the type of player I make a habit of rostering, let alone playing.
Darnell Mooney, WR
The surprise season from Darnell Mooney has hit a roadblock over the past two games (47 yards on 60 routes), as Atlanta’s WR2 has been the receiver most impacted by Kirk Cousins’ cratering.
Mooney hasn’t seen an end-zone target since Week 6 and has produced under expectations in three straight, coming on the heels of producing +13% over expectations through the first nine weeks of the season. At this point, Mooney is no longer a player I’m blindly starting.
He gets the NFC’s best defense by EPA, and with this backfield soaking up plenty of usage alongside Drake London, I’m not sure the target upside is high enough to overcome Cousins’ struggles.
If the QB play improves, Mooney has the potential to return to his WR2 status from October, but we aren’t there right now.
Drake London, WR
Kirk Cousins looked about as bad as anyone in Week 13, and while betting on him to support your WR1 is scary, he’s obviously well-suited to have an idea of what his former teammates are going to do.
The season hasn’t been a great one for the veteran QB, and still, Drake London has seven top-20 finishes. Of course, there’s the fact that he only has one finish better than eighth at the position, and he lacks the upside that we penciled him in for this summer, but there’s not a conversation to be had here.
The Vikings’ defense is aggressive and creates havoc, but it gets overlooked that there are two sides to that coin. Through 13 weeks, this defense has coughed up at least 18 PPR points to a receiver 10 times with a wide range of skill sets getting it done.
I have no issue penciling in Atlanta’s WR1 for another 6-8 catches for 75-85 yards, a level of production that is deserving of being in your lineup with confidence.
Kyle Pitts, TE
If you remove those two bonkers games against the Buccaneers and project Kyle Pitts’ projection over a full season, we are looking at a 41-reception season (536 yards and two touchdowns).
That’s essentially 2023 Chig Okonkwo.
Over the past two weeks, Pitts has turned 53 routes into nine yards. That yardage is so low I had to spell out the number. For whatever reason, Pitts’ name still carries weight for some, but if you’re weighing his draft capital at this point, you’re leaving fantasy points on the board weekly.
He’s not a top-15 tight end for me this week (his last end-zone target came in Week 6), a damning ranking when you consider that there are six teams on a bye. I’d rather sign up for Mike Gesicki or Will Dissly, both this week and for the remainder of the season.
What a world.