The Atlanta Falcons will face the Washington Commanders in Week 17. 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 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Michael Penix Jr., QB
I thought Michael Penix Jr. showed well for himself in the first start of his career, but we are still a ways away from him being fantasy-viable.
That said, Penix completed two-thirds of his passes against the Giants last week and faces a Commanders defense that is bottom seven in both red-zone efficiency and YAC allowed to receivers.
There are a few rookie QBs we are counting on for fantasy production this season. Penix is not there, but I think he can do enough to keep Atlanta’s primary skill options fed.
Bijan Robinson, RB
We are finally getting everything we wanted from the Falcons when it comes to Bijan Robinson. We could complain about it taking this long and the benching of a quarterback signed to a nine-figure deal, but what good would that do?
The star running back has been a top-15 performer in nine of his past 10 games and has carried the rock at least 22 times in all four contests this month. The Commanders are humming on offense and have the third-worst run defense in terms of yards allowed per carry before first contact – if this isn’t a spot to give Robinson the Josh Jacobs treatment and load him up with early work, then it doesn’t exist.
You’re starting him everywhere, and you might have Week 17’s best Flex player on your roster.
Tyler Allgeier, RB
Tyler Allgeier has at least nine touches in four straight games, and that makes for a reasonable projection this week if you’re in true desperation mode but nothing more. I’d play him over a Keon Coleman or David Moore type in a Flex decision due to the safety of his touch count, but I’m hoping your playoff matchup doesn’t come to that.
Allgeier has just three scores on his 2024 ledger (136 touches), and with Bijan Robinson at full strength, there’s no real reason to think that an increase in dangerous touches is coming for Atlanta’s RB2.
Darnell Mooney, WR
In Michael Penix Jr.’s debut, Darnell Mooney’s rates were awfully close to the numbers he has put up this season as a whole. His target share was up a tick, and his depth of target was down a little, but there is nothing that has me adjusting his ranking as a low-end WR3.
The Commanders are the second most vulnerable defense in terms of deep touchdown rate, so there’s a thread to pull if you really need to roll the dice. That said, we are talking about a player with three sub-30-yard games over his past five who hasn’t scored since Week 9.
I’d rather not play him if I have upside elsewhere. Josh Downs (at NYG) has a more stable skill set in a similarly plus matchup, while Adam Thielen (at TB) continues to get chances to produce usable weeks — I’d play both of them over Mooney in Week 17.
Drake London, WR
Week 17 Status: PLAYING
Michael Penix Jr. fed his top target with five of his first 10 targets (three completions for 34 yards), making last week a win for those with Drake London on their roster from a process standpoint.
Would I have preferred a better final line than 5-59-0 against the overmatched Giants? Of course, but the idea that this team drew up London targets and that Penix executed was encouraging.
He had a two-yard score in his hands, and if he comes down with that pass, your impression of Week 16’s stat line changes in a significant way. I’m more optimistic this week in London than last week, and while most of that has to do with what Penix put on film in his first career game, it didn’t hurt to see A.J. Brown produce in a matchup across from Marshon Lattimore.
There’s risk in starting London, and that’s why he’s ranked as a mid-to-low WR2 for me this week, but I’m penciling in enough volume to make him playable in all formats.
Kyle Pitts, TE
The quarterback change in Atlanta was met with “Hey, it can’t get any worse” analysis for most, and that premise was fine. In fact, I agree with it. But “can’t get any worse” and “will get better” are not the same, and Kyle Pitts’ fantasy managers were reminded of that last week.
I thought Michael Penix Jr. was fine in his first career start, but that didn’t mean a damn thing for his tight end. For the eighth time this season, Pitts averaged under a yard per route and is quickly becoming an expensive version of Cardio Cade Otton.
Much like the Bucs’ tight end, I guess it’s within the realm of possibilities that Pitts could have him a moment in the sun should a role open up (à la Chris Godwin’s injury in Tampa Bay), but he’s pretty clearly a read-and-react option moving forward than he is a hold-and-hope one.