The Atlanta Falcons‘ backfield took a twist last week when Bijan Robinson was almost completely absent from the box score as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson handled extended workloads. However, with the explanation having been illness for Robinson, what can we expect to see from the Falcons’ backfield in Week 8? Should fantasy football managers trust Robinson in their lineups, or could we have another Allgeier week?
Is Bijan Robinson or Tyler Allgeier the Better Starting Option in Week 8?
Just when we felt comfortable about how to value this backfield, last week has thrown us off. However, it does seem like that was an anomaly rather than the new norm. Things should return to the status quo in Week 8, with Robinson picking up his typical usage.
The Falcons’ opponents this week are the Tennessee Titans, who are allowing an average of 17.47 fantasy points to opposing backs this season. They have allowed 81 rushing yards, 0.5 rushing touchdowns, three receptions, 23.7 receiving yards, and 0.17 receiving touchdowns per game so far.
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Robinson is the player to start. His projected 12.3 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring include a projection of 73.8 rushing yards, 1.7 receptions, and 12.3 yards. That outperforms the consensus projection for Allgeier (6.9 points) and Patterson (4.1 points).
That is the way I personally see the backfield playing out. Robinson is the priority, with Allgeier a solid Flex option. However, any expansion of Patterson’s role will likely impact both to some extent, with Allgeier bearing the bigger brunt.
Robinson’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 8
Just as we had become used to seeing Robinson lead this backfield, last week flipped things on its head. Robinson touched the ball just once compared to an average of over 15 touches in the proceeding six weeks. The illness explanation has calmed some of the fears, and hopefully, we see Robinson get back to his normal usage this week.
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For all intents and purposes, expect Robinson to be the backfield leader again. The rookie RB had averaged 13.67 carries per game and five receptions per game in the three weeks prior. That is the sort of workload we expect to see this week, with Robinson having been absent from the Falcons’ injury report all week.
Robinson has been producing with those touches as well. He averages five yards per carry, 57.7 rushing yards per game, an 81.3% catch rate, and 27 receiving yards per game. He has done nothing to not deserve his old usage back, assuming he is fully healthy this week.
Allgeier’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 8
A return for Robinson does not mean we will see Allgeier disappear completely. Last week’s 21 carries and three receptions was an increase on what we had seen previously. However, in the prior two weeks, he had averaged 15 rushing attempts and one target per game. Therefore, it is not like Allgeier has not been used at all in recent weeks.
One thing not working in Allgeier’s favor has been a lack of efficiency with those touches. He averaged under three yards per attempt last week and sits at 3.1 yards per attempt for the 2023 season. That could have opened the door for Patterson to see more touches and lower Allgeier’s usage in the coming weeks.
We should not panic too much on Allgeier. There is no guarantee that Patterson will even be active in Week 8. However, if we find out that Patterson is going to be on the field, it would downgrade Allgeier a couple of spots in my rankings.
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