London put together a rookie season that looked much better on game film than in the Fantasy box scores in large part due to inconsistent and inaccurate ball placement from Marcus Mariota. The final outcome was a finish at WR43 overall, but that hasn't stopped expectations from moving him up draft boards in 2023. The 117 targets last year coupled with the fifth-highest target share in the NFL are reasons to get very excited about London in 2023 because volume is king. Of course, the return of Kyle Pitts and addition of Bijan Robinson will eat into London's volume. London is a gamble on upside rather than production (his best stretch as a rookie still put him closer to the back-end WR2 range). If you want to make that gamble, you'll likely have to do it as early as Round 5.
Let's hope that London in London is a good thing for the Falcons receiver and Fantasy managers because it's been a difficult start to the season. He had a big game in Week 2 against Green Bay with six catches for 67 yards and a touchdown on seven targets and scored 18.7 PPR points. But in his other two outings against Carolina and Detroit, London has combined for 5.1 PPR points with two catches for 31 yards on seven targets. Desmond Ridder is not helping London or Kyle Pitts, and this really has nothing to do with the matchup. I hope I'm wrong on London this week, but I would only start him as a low-end No. 3 receiver in most formats.
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Falcons' Drake London: Records two receptions in loss
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London caught two of six targets for 31 yards during Sunday's 20-6 loss versus Detroit.
London finished fourth on the team in targets and third in receiving yards. It was certainly a disappointing performance after the wideout submitted a 6-67-1 line versus Jaire Alexander and the Packers in Week 2. You can't blame this effort on Atlanta's run-heavy scheme, as Desmond Ridder attempted 38 passes. London's skill set is up there with the elite pass catchers in the NFL, but his usage hasn't been conducive to consistent production in fantasy.
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Falcons' Drake London: Catches first TD of 2023
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London caught six of seven targets for 67 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 25-24 win over the Packers.
After getting blanked in the season opener, London quickly got going in Week 2 with a screen pass on Atlanta's first offensive play. The 2022 first-round pick found a groove after that. London beat Jaire Alexander for 22 yards on a third-and-15 in the second quarter and got the better of the All-Pro cornerback again late in the first half, securing a three-yard touchdown with just 16 seconds left. The wideout also bested Alexander for 24 yards on the first play of Atlanta's game-winning drive. It was a huge bounce-back performance for London, especially given his matchup, but fantasy managers have to be cognizant of the Falcons' run-heavy offense moving forward.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Sit
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Week 1 was a nightmare for London's Fantasy managers when he had no catches on just one target against Carolina. The Falcons run game was dominant, and Desmond Ridder attempted just 18 passes. Things will definitely improve for London moving forward, but we will likely need Atlanta to be chasing points for London's targets to spike. This week, he has a tough matchup against a good Packers secondary led by Jaire Alexander. London is barely worth starting in three-receiver leagues in Week 2.
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Falcons' Drake London: Blanked in opener
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London failed to catch his only target during Sunday's 24-10 win over the Panthers.
London was a non-factor, as Atlanta leaned heavily on the run. Desmond Ridder attempted just 18 passes and was sacked four times. Kyle Pitts led the team with 44 receiving yards (two receptions), while Bijan Robinson paced the squad with six receptions (27 yards). London remains a huge part of the Falcons' offense moving forward, but fantasy managers should be aware that coach Arthur Smith isn't going to force-feed pass catchers if the running game is working like it was versus Carolina.
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Falcons' Drake London: Makes acrobatic catch
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London recorded two receptions on three targets for 33 yards in Friday's 13-13 tie against the Bengals in preseason action.
London played for one offensive drive but still made a significant impact. The highlight of his performance came on a long third down when Desmond Ridder lofted a ball down the left sideline that London out-jumped DJ Turner to haul in. London is in line to lead the Atlanta pass-catching corps alongside Kyle Pitts when the regular season kicks off against Carolina.
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Falcons' Drake London: Set to play preseason Week 2
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London is expected to play in next Friday's preseason game against the Bengals, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Along with the rest of the Falcons' first-team offense, London didn't suit up for Friday's exhibition opener in Miami. That script will flip in preseason Week 2 as he prepares to build off a 72-866-4 line on 117 targets from his rookie 2022 campaign.
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Falcons' Drake London: Career-high 120 yards in Week 18
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London caught six of eight targets for 120 yards during Sunday's 30-17 win over Tampa Bay.
London briefly went to the locker in the second quarter with a foot injury, but he returned to the contest and finished with a career-high 120 receiving yards during his final game of the 2022 campaign. The rookie first-round pick finished the season strong and totaled 31 receptions on 48 targets for 428 yards over the final five games, with 333 of those yards coming in four contests with Desmond Ridder at the helm. The Falcons are expected to add more quarterback depth this offseason after the Marcus Mariota experiment failed, but regardless of who's under center, London is expected to be Atlanta's top wideout next year.
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Falcons' Drake London: Exits with foot injury
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London left Sunday's game against the Buccaneers due to a foot injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
According to McElhaney, London went to the locker room shortly before the Falcons deemed him questionable to return. If London is unable to do so, he'll finish Week 18 with one catch (on two targets) for 26 yards.
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Falcons' Drake London: Momentum stalled
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London recorded five receptions on eight targets for 47 yards in Sunday's 20-19 win over the Cardinals.
London finished tied for the team lead with eight targets, though that was his lowest total since Week 12. Unsurprisingly, he also recorded his lowest reception and yardage total in that span. In addition to lost volume, London was also limited to working in the short areas of the field, as his longest catch went for 13 yards and three of his five receptions went for single-digit gains. Despite the disappointing output, London entered the game having recorded at least 70 receiving yards in three consecutive matchups and is ending his rookie season in strong form.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Start
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London continues to look like a rising star heading into Week 17 against Arizona. He scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past three games, and he has at least nine targets and six catches in each outing. In two games with Desmond Ridder, London has 14 catches for 166 yards on 20 targets. He's worth using as a No. 2 receiver in all leagues against the Cardinals, who just lost standout safety Budda Baker (shoulder) for the season.
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Falcons' Drake London: Start Him In PPR (Lineup Decisions)
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London basically is the entirety of the Falcons passing game. Ridder's not very accurate but he's good at putting up a lob for London to come down with. Expect a few of those as part of a double-digit target output. London's trustworthy as a low-end No. 2 WR in PPR and a flex in half- and non-PPR.
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Falcons' Drake London: Week 17 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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London is one player I absolutely cannot wait to draft next season, assuming the Falcons do something to get a competent quarterback this offseason. London has turned his season around over the past three weeks, earning massive target shares and putting up at least 70 yards in each games. His overall numbers for the season aren't likely to be too impressive – he needs 301 yards over the next two games to get to 1,000 yards -- but that doesn't account for the degree of difficulty playing in a super-low volume offense with mediocre-to-bad QB play. London has been incredibly impressive, and I'm going to rank him as a solid WR3 for Week 17 against the Cardinals.
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Falcons' Drake London: Falls just short of century mark
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London caught seven of nine targets for 96 yards in Saturday's 17-9 loss to the Ravens.
For the second straight game, London showed impressive chemistry with fellow rookie Desmond Ridder, as he led Atlanta in catches and receiving yards. London has posted a 14-166-0 line on 20 targets in two games with Ridder under center, giving the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft upside and momentum heading into a Week 17 matchup with the Cardinals.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Sit
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London has been great for the past two games, and he is finally showing the promise that made him the first wide receiver selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has 13 catches for 165 yards on 23 targets in his past two outings against the Steelers and Saints, and it was fun to see him perform well at New Orleans in Desmond Ridder's first NFL start in Week 15. But I would shy away from London in Week 16 at Baltimore. The Ravens have been dominating opposing passing games of late and have allowed just three touchdowns to wide receivers since Week 8. London still has appeal as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most leagues, but this isn't the week to trust him at Baltimore.
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Falcons' Drake London: Solid connection with Ridder
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London caught seven of 11 targets for 70 yards during Sunday's 21-18 loss to New Orleans.
Desmond Ridder targeted London early and often during his NFL debut, as the rookie duo connected seven times for 70 yards. The wideout saw double-digit targets for a second straight game and the third time during the campaign. During those contests, London has totaled 21 receptions for 251 yards and one score. While London could continue leading the team in targets in most remaining games, his overall fantasy production is likely to remain limited while operating in the Falcons' struggling offense.
London caught six of 12 targets for 95 yards during Sunday's 19-16 loss to Pittsburgh.
London was targeted on half of Marcus Mariota's 24 pass attempts and set a career high with 95 receiving yards. All six of the rookie's receptions went for at least 10 yards, including a 37-yard catch in the second quarter. With Kyle Pitts (knee) out for the year, London will look to build off his career-high performance and emerge as Atlanta's top pass-catching option moving forward.
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Falcons' Drake London: Meager production in loss
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London logged two receptions on four targets for 29 yards during Sunday's 19-13 defeat to the Commanders.
London finished second on the team in receptions, targets and yards behind Olamide Zaccheaus. The rookie first-round pick continues to be limited in Atlanta's run-heavy offense, but despite Zaccheaus' breakout game, London figures to be the Falcons' go-to pass catcher in the absence of Kyle Pitts (knee). London will look to bounce back against the Steelers in Week 13 before Atlanta heads into its Week 14 bye.
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Falcons' Drake London: Two-yard touchdown in win
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London reeled in one of three targets for two yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bears.
London gave the Falcons an early 7-0 lead with a two-yard score to finish the first drive of the game. However, the rookie wideout saw only two targets the rest of the way and failed to secure another catch, marking his second game with one or fewer receptions. Regardless, London has now scored a touchdown in back-to-back weeks and has four scores across 11 appearances, though he's failed to top 50 receiving yards in eight straight games after reaching that plateau in each of his first three contests.
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Falcons' Drake London: Finds end zone in loss
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London brought in five of six targets for 38 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 25-15 loss to the Panthers on Thursday night.
The rookie found the end zone for the first time since Week 3 on a tough seven-yard grab between two defenders just past the midway point of the third quarter. London still couldn't clear the 40-yard mark, however, making it four consecutive games for the first-round selection under that modest threshold. London's upside is likely to be capped as long as Marcus Mariota remains in a starting role, but he'll hope to boost his numbers in a Week 11 matchup at home a week from Sunday against the inconsistent Bears defense.
