There is a lot of excitement surrounding London heading into his third season for two main reasons: The new offensive system he's playing in and the upgrade at quarterback going from Desmond Ridder to Kirk Cousins. In 2023 under Arthur Smith, London played just the 29th-most snaps among WRs and he had just the 33rd-most targets per game. Those numbers are expected to take a significant leap in 2024. The upgrade to Cousins is even more significant. Both Marcus Mariota and Ridder struggled with on-target passing rate, delivering the ball to all areas of the field and giving London the contested-catch opportunities his skill set demands. However, Cousins will need to turn London into the weekly WR1 machine he made Justin Jefferson to pay back his ADP. London is rising and you'll have to grab him at some point in Round 2 if you want him on your Fantasy rosters in 2024.
Falcons' Drake London: Key starters not playing Friday
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London is listed among Falcons starters not suiting up for Friday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
Atlanta won't play key starters including London, fellow wideouts Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud, quarterback Kirk Cousins, running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, plus tight end Kyle Pitts in Friday's exhibition contest. The third-year pro's next opportunity to suit up for preseason action will come Aug. 17 on the road at Baltimore.
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Falcons' Drake London: Clear of cramping
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London (overheating/leg cramps) returned for the evening portion of Friday's practice, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
London departed the morning portion of practice Friday after he experienced leg cramps and overheating. However, the wideout was able to return for the evening walkthrough, suggesting that he's clear of any concerns. Josh Kendall of The Athletic adds that London will be on the field when the Falcons practice Saturday. This year's training camp is particularly important for London as he looks to build a rapport with new starting quarterback Kirk Cousins.
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Falcons' Drake London: Leaves practice due to overheating
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London left Friday's practice because of cramps and overheating, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
There was briefly concern about an injury when London made an early exit and was seen talking with trainers. It turns out he just needs rest and water, so it shouldn't be long before he's back to building chemistry with new starting quarterback Kirk Cousins.
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Falcons' Drake London: Exits practice with injury
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London left Friday's practice with an apparent injury, ESPN's Marc Raimondi reports.
Initial reports don't make it sound too serious, with London reportedly walking off the field and spending some time talking to trainers. His day is likely done, but it's unclear at this point if Atlanta's top WR will miss any additional practices.
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Falcons' Drake London: Four catches to close out season
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London brought in four of nine targets for 41 yards in the Falcons' 48-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
London's second season finished with a quiet performance, even as he logged a team high in targets. London also finished second in receptions and third in receiving yards on the afternoon, but he'll wrap up his sophomore campaign having failed to hit 50 receiving yards in three of his last four contests. London did set a new personal best with 905 receiving yards for the season, and he could certainly enjoy his best season yet in 2024 if there is an offensive and/or quarterback upgrade in Atlanta.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Sit
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It was another bad road game for London in Week 17 at Chicago when he caught four passes for 56 yards on 10 targets. He's averaging 7.6 PPR points on the road this year in eight games, and there's little reason to trust him at New Orleans in Week 18. Now, he beat up on the Saints in Week 12 with five catches for 91 yards on seven targets, but that was in Atlanta. London hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4, and New Orleans should be able to contain this Falcons passing attack at home. London is only worth starting in three-receiver leagues in Week 18.
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Falcons' Drake London: Quiet again in Week 17
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London secured four of 10 targets for 56 yards in the Falcons' 37-17 loss to the Bears on Sunday.
London certainly didn't lack for opportunity while leading the team in targets by a wide margin, but he and Taylor Heinicke found chemistry elusive in the snowy environment of Soldier Field. The second-year wideout has been held under 60 receiving yards for three straight games, but he should have a good chance of improving on his recent production if he sees a similar amount of passes come his way in a Week 18 road matchup against the Saints.
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Falcons' Drake London: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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We have yet to have a game where Taylor Heinicke has connected for big gains with Drake London. Not that they've played a lot together this year, but that lack of playing time has seemingly created some synergy for others in Atlanta. In games where both Heinicke and London are on the field, the Falcons' leader in target share is Bijan Robinson, then both Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith, and only then does London check in at 14.3%. That's low and not good. The matchup on the road this week is also not good for London. Since acquiring Montez Sweat to impact the pass rush, the Bears rank Top 3 in lowest catch rate allowed and fewest yards per catch allowed to outside WRs like London with just two touchdowns in seven games. I would sit London for Adam Thielen, Tyler Lockett, Rashid Shaheed and both Steelers WRs.
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Falcons' Drake London: Three catches in Week 16 win
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London brought in three of four targets for 39 yards in the Falcons' 29-10 win over the Colts on Sunday.
London had a quiet day overall but still tied for second in receptions on the afternoon for the Falcons. The speedy wideout should have a chance at a strong finish to the season now that the steadier Taylor Heinicke has taken back over for Desmond Ridder at quarterback, and he'll have a favorable matchup against the Bears' inconsistent secondary on the road in Week 17.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Start
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London loves playing at home. In his past five games in Atlanta, London has scored at least 14.1 PPR points in each outing, and he's averaging 19.7 PPR points per game over that span. We'll see how he does with Taylor Heinicke taking over for Desmond Ridder, and London missed Week 9 against Minnesota in Heinicke's first start. The Colts have allowed the opposing No. 1 receiver to score at least 14.4 PPR points in four of their past five games, and London is a borderline top-10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for Week 16.
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Falcons' Drake London: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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When the Falcons need to throw, or want to throw, London comes alive. Look no further than last week's showdown with the Buccaneers for an example. But when the Falcons don't need to throw, London's targets sink. That's what happened two weeks ago against the Jets (five targets, one catch) and back in Week 1 versus the Panthers (one target, no catches). Carolina's offense has become a total farce, one that ranks dead-last over the last four weeks in yards per play (3.8) and passing yards per game (121.8) despite being fifth-best in time of possession! Even with the Falcons defense missing some pieces, expect Atlanta to run the ball at will and not push Desmond Ridder into high passing volume. That figures to limit London's targets, making him no better than a flex in PPR and a potential outright sit in non-PPR. I'd rather start Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham and Curtis Samuel in PPR.
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Falcons' Drake London: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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London was a star in Week 14 against Tampa Bay with 10 catches for 172 yards on 11 targets. It continued his pattern of being great at home -- he's scored at least 14.1 PPR points in each of his past five games in Atlanta -- but he struggles on the road. London has averaged just 7.9 PPR points per game in six road games this season, and he scored 6.6 PPR points at Arizona in Week 10 and 1.8 PPR points at the Jets in Week 13 in his past two road outings. Carolina is No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and London had no catches on one target against the Panthers at home in Week 1. I would only use London in three-receiver leagues in Week 15.
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Falcons' Drake London: Stellar production in Week 14 loss
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London brought in 10 of 11 targets for 172 yards in the Falcons' 29-25 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also recorded a two-point conversion catch.
London led the Falcons across the board in receptions, receiving yards and targets, with some final padding on his numbers coming in the form of a 28-yard grab on Desmond Ridder's desperation heave as time ran out. London consistently did similar damage throughout the day, bedeviling the Buccaneers' secondary with several chunk gains, including a game-long 45-yard catch. London's catch and yardage numbers were also career highs, sending him into a Week 15 road matchup against the Panthers with plenty of momentum.
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Falcons' Drake London: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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In Desmond Ridder's first game back as the Falcons starter he connected with London on 5 of 7 targets against the Saints for 91 yards. Then London went up against the Jets, who were excellent in coverage against him, and ultimately the Falcons didn't have to score many points to beat a poor offensive team. London looks fine in his route-running; his problem is that he's on a low-volume passing team with an off-target passer. And, London has zero red-zone or end-zone targets not only his past two with Ridder, but in his past four overall. All of these factors make for a tough-to-trust situation against what appears to be a slightly improving Buccaneers pass defense that's started to play more man coverage lately (London has had much more success against zone coverage). I'd use caution in starting London and would buy into the upside of Elijah Moore, Jayden Reed and Zay Flowers instead.
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Falcons' Drake London: WRs to Start
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London loves playing at home. In his past four games in Atlanta, London has scored at least 14.1 PPR points in each outing, and he's averaging 17.3 PPR points per game over that span. This is a great matchup for London in Week 14 against the Buccaneers, who are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. And London had six catches for 120 yards on eight targets against Tampa Bay at home in Week 18 last season. London should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Falcons' Drake London: Impressive working with Ridder
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London brought in five of seven targets for 91 yards in the Falcons' 24-15 win over the Saints on Sunday.
London comfortably led the Falcons in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon while working with Desmond Ridder as his quarterback for a full game for the first time since Week 7. London's yardage total was his highest since Week 6 and second best of the season, but the entire Atlanta air attack faces a tough matchup against the Jets' stingy secondary on the road in Week 13.
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Falcons' Drake London: Modest numbers Sunday
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London caught three of four targets for 36 yards in Sunday's 25-23 loss to the Cardinals.
The second-year wideout actually led Atlanta in receiving yards Sunday in his return from a one-game absence due to a minor groin issue while tying Kyle Pitts for the team lead in catches, as quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke (hamstring) and Desmond Ridder combined for a paltry 94 passing yards. London hasn't scored a TD since Week 4 and has topped 70 receiving yards only twice in nine games this season, but the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is still the team's biggest downfield threat. If the coaching staff uses next week's bye to fix some of the issues with the offense, London could benefit beginning with a Week 12 contest against the Saints.
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Falcons' Drake London: Sleeper WRs
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London is expected to play in Week 10 at Arizona after missing Week 9 with a groin injury, and I'm excited to see what he does with Taylor Heinicke under center. London has scored at least 10.5 PPR points in five games in a row, but only twice has he scored more than 11.8 PPR points over that span. He's capable of more, and I hope Heinicke brings out the best in him. It helps that the Cardinals have allowed nine receivers to score at least 14 PPR points this season, and London should be considered a borderline top-20 receiver in all formats this week.
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Falcons' Drake London: In clear for Week 10
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London (groin) was a full practice participant Thursday, Amna Subhan of the Falcons' official site reports.
London's ability to take every rep at Thursday's practice clears the way for him to return to action Sunday against the Cardinals after he sat out the Falcons' 31-28 loss to the Vikings in Week 9. Since drawing just one target in a Week 1 win over Carolina, London has drawn no fewer than six looks in the passing game in any of his last seven outings, stringing together a 37-438-2 receiving line over that span. He'll now get his first chance to work in a full game with quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who will make his second straight start Sunday since replacing the struggling Desmond Ridder in the second half of a Week 8 loss to the Titans
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Falcons' Drake London: Limited in practice return
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London (groin) was a limited participant Wednesday in his return to practice, Amna Subhan of the Falcons' official site reports.
London didn't practice at all last week and missed Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Vikings. His return Wednesday -- even in a limited capacity -- gives him some chance to suit up Sunday at Arizona, though D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that London didn't look to be running full speed. Progression to full practice Thursday or Friday would indicate readiness for a return and give London his first shot to play with Taylor Heinicke as the starting quarterback instead of Desmond Ridder.
