The Atlanta Falcons will face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. 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 15 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Kirk Cousins, QB
Kirk Cousins is the first starting QB with zero passing touchdowns and 8+ interceptions in a four-game span since Ben Roethlisberger from 2005-06. He hasn’t been a top-20 producer at the position in any of those games, something that is hard to do when you consider the volume of byes over those weeks.
There’s no reason to bet on this profile at the moment. If you want to leverage overall panic in this offense and get a piece of the pie facing off against a vulnerable Raiders defense, I fully support it. But asking Cousins to get you through to the next round of a redraft postseason is taking on far more risk than is necessary in Week 15.
Bijan Robinson, RB
Even with the offense collapsing around him, Bijan Robinson has reached 20 toques in six of his past seven games and has scored four times over the past month. Last week, in what was eventually a 42-21 loss in Minnesota, the Falcons made it clear how they planned on competing — Robinson had six touches on the opening drive.
The Saints own the second-worst run defense in the NFL this season, and with Atlanta ranking seventh in rush rate over expectation, this could be an explosion spot for the former eighth overall pick.
We haven’t seen an explosive touch from Robinson in three straight games — I think there’s a good chance that changes on Sunday in the midst of a top-five performance.
Tyler Allgeier, RB
Tyler Allgeier scored from six yards out on Atlanta’s first drive last week, his first score in a month, and he ran hard against a strong Vikings defense (nine carries for 63 yards).
The performance was good to see and is a reminder that he can be Zach Charbonnet-like should he be given the opportunity, but we aren’t in a position to project that right now with Bijan Robinson at full strength.
His proximity to a top-20 role is why he needs to be rostered, but you’re not playing him as long as the RB1 is at full strength.
Darnell Mooney, WR
Darnell Mooney cleared 100 yards in the first half last week against the Vikings, continuing a season that I don’t think any of us saw coming. He already has set a career-high in touchdown receptions for a season and is just 183 yards from the best yardage total during his five years in the NFL.
The 21.3% on-field target share is suitable if Kirk Cousins can figure his life out, and the 12.8-yard aDOT has me optimistic in this specific matchup against a defense that struggles to create pressure, even when bringing an extra player (32.4% pressure rate when blitzing, second-lowest). Cousins is struggling to properly process defensive schemes right now, but I’m confident that if he is just sitting in the pocket, he can find Mooney down the field as he separates.
Keenan Allen and Adam Thielen are receivers that come with similar quarterback risk but less per-target upside — I have Mooney ranked just ahead of both of them as low-end Flex options.
Drake London, WR
Drake London has seen 46 targets over his past four games, and while all of that volume hasn’t paid off in a single touchdown due to the struggles of Kirk Cousins, he’s been a usable asset for three of those four games, a nice showing all things considered.
Ja’Marr Chase is the only player in the NFL with more end-zone targets this season than London, a role that will pay off with time. The Raiders are a bottom-10 defense in end-zone completion percentage and bottom-five in end-zone completions per game — the volume appears safe and the scoring equity is higher than you might assume, even with a struggling signal caller.
Kyle Pitts, TE
When growing up, did you sometimes get so angry at a sibling, cousin, or pet that your emotions came out as laughter instead of anything violent? Like, a weird chuckle that sort of resembled a villain in a horror movie, where it was clear that the frustration was bubbling beneath the surface and just manifesting itself in an odd, nightmare-inducing cackle?
That’s about where we are in the Kyle Pitts experience. Over his past three games, the former Gator has run 82 routes and turned them into just 11 targets and 23 yards.
Gross.
Over the past 20 seasons, there have been three instances in which a tight end ran over 25 routes and earned multiple targets but failed to clear 15 receiving yards in three straight games
- Levine Toilolo (2014)
- Cameron Brate (2021)
- Pitts (2024, active)
Is that an oddly specific list? Of course, it is, but I don’t think you’d argue that it is an oddly specific way to highlight ineptitude at the highest of levels and that is what we are looking at here.
Harness the feelings you have toward Pitts right now and I’ll do the same. Together, we can resist the urge to go back to the well in August.
I hope.