FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — We're slowly inching closer to the start of training camp, which means the 2025 NFL season will be here before we know it.
Fortunately, that also means fantasy football will be back in our lives. It's an opportunity to rekindle long-standing rivalries, gather for draft nights you'll never forget and go through dozens of possible team names before landing on the perfect one. It's also an opportunity to win.
For those of you looking to run over the competition, you've come to the right place. Well, sort of. I can't guarantee you wins, but I can provide you with some useful information for draft night. Keep these notes in your back pocket when considering adding some of your favorite Falcons players to your roster.
### **The fantasy cornerstone**
**Bijan Robinson:** Only a small number of players are ever in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick in a fantasy draft, and Robinson is undoubtedly in that mix this year. If you draft him first, nobody is going to bat an eye and there will likely be a few groans in the room — That's exactly what we're going for. Robinson had a huge breakout season in 2024, and the Falcons have their sights set on something [a bit more explosive](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/bijan-robinson-explosive-season-runs) out of him this fall.
Michael Turner first broke onto the scene in Atlanta with nearly 1,700 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2008. Naturally, he shot to the top of fantasy rankings the next season. Well, Robinson's 2024 season was actually four points _better_ than Turner's memorable 2008 run from a fantasy perspective, and it took him about 70 fewer runs to he reach that total. So, Robinson should be fresher and ready to capitalize on that top draft slot.
### **The underrated WR1**
**Drake London:** Here's a quick trivia question: How many wide receivers finished with more fantasy points than London last season? Four: Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. London finished with the fifth-most fantasy points among wide receivers in PPR leagues and there are plenty of reasons to believe he can replicate, if not improve, upon last year's success.
Furthermore, from Weeks 16-18, when Michael Penix Jr. took over as Atlanta's starting quarterback, London was tied for the most fantasy points per game among receivers. With Penix behind center full time in 2025, there could be a new ceiling for London in fantasy. He could return a lot of value for someone who drafts London in the late first or second round.
### **The new guy**
**Michael Penix Jr.:** Quarterback has always been one of the most important fantasy positions, but the value of the position has shifted to favor running quarterbacks. That's what makes Penix such a fascinating player for fantasy purposes.
He is an athletic player (look no further than his touchdown run in Week 18 for evidence), but it's not fair to describe him as a scrambling quarterback. What is fair to say, though, is that Penix is a big-game hunter as a passer. He is going to air the ball out. That [should lead to a big output](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/extremely-excited-michael-penix-jr-offense) through the air, especially given the cast of players around him. If Penix adds anything with his legs on a consistent basis, he may quickly have the floor of a starting fantasy quarterback. There could be a large degree of variance with Penix's draft slot, but he'd be a high-upside bench candidate from Day 1.