Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Could end up a cap casualty
Rotowire
Patterson and Tyler Allgeier are part of a backfield that now includes eighth overall pick Bijan Robinson, Scott Bair of AtlantaFalcons.com reports.
Robinson figures to lead the way ahead of a 32-year-old and a 2022 fifth-round pick, though both Patterson and Allgeier were effective ballcarriers last season in Arthur Smith's run-heavy offense, averaging 4.8 YPC and 4.9 YPC, respectively. Ultimately, it may just be Robinson and Allgeier handling backfield snaps, considering the Falcons will free up $4.25 million in cap space if they trade or release Patterson after June 1 (his $4.25 million base salary for 2023 isn't guaranteed). Barring an alteration to his contract, Patterson's status with the team will remain uncertain throughout the summer even if he remains on the roster and reports to training camp.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Scores touchdown in Week 18
Rotowire
Patterson rushed five times for 18 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 30-17 win over Tampa Bay. He also caught two of three targets for one yard.
Patterson took a back seat to Tyler Allgeier during the Falcons' season finale, but the veteran salvaged his Week 18 production by recording Atlanta's lone rushing touchdown during the win. After totaling 122 rushing attempts for 619 yards and six touchdowns over his first 10 appearances, Patterson saw just 22 rushes for 77 yards over the final three games of the season, though he did record two touchdowns during that stretch. He ultimately finished with career highs in rushing yards (695) and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he saw a significant regression in his passing-game production, as he caught just 21 passes for 122 yards after registering 52 receptions and 548 yards a year ago. Overall Patterson's season wasn't disappointing, but there were certainly signs that his prolific 2021 campaign was an outlier compared to his normal production. His cap hit for 2023 is $5.5 million, which is a sizable contract and suggests he'll have a solid role next year, but after Allgeier's impressive rookie campaign, Patterson may be relegated to backup duties moving forward.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Gets involved as receiver
Rotowire
Patterson rushed the ball nine times for 42 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-19 win over the Cardinals. He added six receptions on eight targets for 42 yards.
Patterson was more than doubled in rushing attempts by Tyler Allgeier, but he punched in a touchdown late in the second quarter from five yards away. After being surprisingly unused as a receiver for most of the season, Patterson got involved as a pass catcher and managed a season high in targets, receptions and receiving yards. Overall, Patterson has managed more than 50 rushing yards in five of his last six games while scoring two touchdowns in that span.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
Rotowire
The matchup is irresistible, and even though it's a certainty Cordarrelle Patterson will take work away, the Falcons have seemingly committed to Allgeier over the past few weeks and don't have a good reason to go away from him. He's expected to see the most work in a great matchup, which puts him in line to be a low-end No. 2 Fantasy RB. Patterson is at best a non-PPR touchdown-dependent flex.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Quiet in Christmas Eve loss
Rotowire
Patterson carried the ball eight times for 17 yards and caught his only target for 14 yards in Saturday's 17-9 loss to the Ravens.
The veteran took a back seat to Tyler Allgeier in the Atlanta backfield, seeing nine touches to the rookie's 22, and it's possible the Falcons will continue to feature the younger back in their final two games now that they've been eliminated from the playoffs. Patterson will head into a Week 17 clash with the Cardinals having compiled 714 scrimmage yards and six rushing TDs over 11 games in 2022.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Sit
Rotowire
Patterson got outplayed by Tyler Allgeier in Week 15 at New Orleans when Allgeier had 17 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Patterson had 14 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Patterson also had one catch for no yards on three targets, and Allgeier had one catch for minus-3 yards on one target. I would sit both Falcons running backs this week at Baltimore. The Ravens have allowed one rushing touchdown and just two total touchdowns to running backs since Week 8, and the addition of linebacker Roquan Smith via trade from Chicago has made this run defense impenetrable. With both running backs splitting touches in a tough matchup, you should only consider Patterson and Allgeier as flex options at best in Week 16.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Scores touchdown in loss
Rotowire
Patterson rushed 14 times for 52 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Saints. He also caught one of three targets for zero yards.
Patterson saw 17 total touches to Tyler Allgeier's 18, but the rookie significantly outproduced the veteran. Patterson's struggles may open up more playing time for Allgeier moving forward. However, the Falcons continue to rely heavily on the run game, so Patterson will garner fantasy intrigue as long as he's available, though both running backs' overall potential has been limited all season due to the timeshare.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Sit
Rotowire
Patterson has gone four games in a row scoring nine PPR points or less. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 9, and he didn't have a catch in Week 13 against Pittsburgh. Now, the last time Patterson faced the Saints in Week 1 he went nuts with 22 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 16 yards on five targets. The Falcons are starting a rookie quarterback in Desmond Ridder, and we'll see how that impacts Patterson and the passing game. But the Saints haven't allowed a rushing touchdown since Week 9, and only two running backs have scored more than 10 PPR points against New Orleans over that span. I'd only use Patterson as a flex option this week.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Team-high 60 rushing yards in loss
Rotowire
Patterson rushed 11 times for 60 yards during Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Steelers.
Patterson saw one more rushing attempt and produced eight more yards than Tyler Allgeier, as the two running backs continue to split the majority of the backfield work. The veteran running back was held in check in the first half, rushing three times for zero yards, but he got back on track in the third quarter. His final tally would've looked a lot better if his 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter wasn't called back due to a Parker Hesse hold. Patterson also wasn't targeted in the passing game for the first time since Week 4, which could be a concerning development. Regardless, Patterson's consistent usage likely lands him as a viable flex option when the Falcons return to action following their Week 14 bye.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Sit
Rotowire
Patterson has run well when given the ball, but he's not being used as the featured back in Atlanta. And in a tough matchup with the Steelers, that makes Patterson someone to sit in the majority of leagues. Patterson has averaged 5.0 yards per carry in his past two games against the Bears and Commanders, but he only has 21 carries over that span. He hasn't scored a touchdown in three games in a row, and he only has seven catches for 37 yards in his past four outings. The Steelers have only allowed two rushing touchdowns to running backs in their past five games, and Patterson likely won't help your Fantasy roster if he doesn't score this week.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Possible Bust (Lineup Decisions)
Rotowire
I don't love how Patterson isn't the Falcons' workhorse -- sharing with at least two other backs (and a running quarterback!) from week to week definitely has its drawbacks. But Atlanta remains committed to the run and the Steelers defense is in a tough spot playing on the road twice in the span of seven days. It's not a bad matchup. Patterson is bust-ish but has enough work near the goal line to have an edge in Fantasy lineups over Latavius Murray, D'Andre Swift and A.J. Dillon, but not quite over Isiah Pacheco or Brian Robinson.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Racks up 71 total yards
Rotowire
Patterson rushed the ball 11 times for 52 yards in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Commanders. He added three receptions on five targets for 19 yards.
Patterson continued to see his workload monitored carefully, as he's now seen between 10 and 13 carries in three of his four games since returning from a knee injury. He also managed gains of 21, 15 and 13 yards to top 50 rushing yards for the second consecutive game. Patterson's involvement as a pass catcher was also encouraging, as his five targets matched his highest mark of the season.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Sit
Rotowire
Patterson was awesome in Week 11 against Chicago if you get points for kickoff returns. He had a 103-yard kickoff return against the Bears, but his production as a running back was minimal with 10 carries for 52 yards, along with two catches for 7 yards on two targets and a lost fumble. He's now combined for just seven PPR points in his past two games against Chicago and Carolina, and he will likely struggle again in Week 12 at Washington if he fails to score an offensive touchdown. The Commanders defense has been dominant against running backs in the past two games, holding Miles Sanders (54 total yards) and Dameon Pierce (17 total yards) to a combined eight PPR points. Washington should be able to contain Patterson this week as well.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Scores on kick return
Rotowire
Patterson rushed 10 times for 52 yards and caught both of his targets for seven yards during Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bears. He also returned a kickoff for a 103-yard touchdown and lost a fumble.
Patterson garnered two more rushing attempts than Tyler Allgeier, but the latter was slightly more efficient than the former. The veteran Patterson lost a fumble in the second quarter, setting up a Bears touchdown, but he quickly made up for the blunder by taking a kickoff for a 103-yard score the next time he touched the ball. The Falcons' running game appears to be a committee moving forward, but given Atlanta's run-first mindset, both running backs should be on fantasy radars as potential flex options.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Start
Rotowire
Patterson let us down last week at Carolina with just five carries for 18 yards and one catch for 2 yards on one target, but he should rebound this week against the Bears, who have allowed a running back to score or gain over 100 total yards in nine games in a row. In just the past three games against Dallas, Miami and Detroit, Chicago has allowed seven total touchdowns, and hopefully Patterson will score in a revenge game for him after he spent two seasons for the Bears in 2019-20. I like Patterson as a solid No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: RBs to Start
Rotowire
The setup for Patterson is great against Carolina this week. It's a short week for the Panthers after their defense spent nearly 40 minutes on the field against the Bengals in Week 9. In that game against Cincinnati, Carolina couldn't stop Joe Mixon, who had 22 carries for 153 yards and four touchdowns, along with four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown on five targets. The Panthers have now allowed seven running backs to score at least 13 PPR points this season, and Patterson just scored 17 PPR points against the Chargers in Week 9 in his return from a four-game absence with a knee injury. Patterson has played five games this season, and he has a touchdown in four of them. He also scored a touchdown in both meetings with the Panthers last year.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Two scores in return from IR
Rotowire
Patterson rushed 13 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns and secured his only target for nine yards in the Falcons' 20-17 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
Head coach Arthur Smith mostly held true to his word of easing Patterson back into the fold after a four-game stint on IR, but the versatile veteran still paced the Falcons in carries. Patterson scored from one and three yards out in the first and third quarter, respectively, and he could be in line for a larger workload in a Week 10 divisional road matchup against the Panthers on Thursday night.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Likely to be eased in
Rotowire
Patterson (knee), who was activated from injured reserve Saturday, is expected to be eased back in with a more limited workload than usual in Sunday's game against the Chargers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Patterson missed the minimum four games while on IR after he underwent a left knee cleanup procedure in early October, but the Falcons aren't eager to have him take on his normal workload in his return to action with only three practices under his belt beforehand. Garafolo notes that the fact that the Falcons travel to Carolina for a Thursday night game in Week 10 is a factor in the team's intentions of limiting Patterson, who could find himself part of a three-man backfield committee with Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley. With that in mind, none of the three would appear to be high-percentage fantasy plays for Week 9.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: Will be activated off IR
Rotowire
Patterson (knee) will be activated off injured reserve Saturday and is set to play against the Chargers on Sunday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Patterson practiced all week, setting the stage for the multi-faceted back to make his return after the minimum four games. The Chargers allow a league-high 5.7 yards per carry through nine games, which should set the stage for the veteran to make a dominant return. Expect the Falcons to still incorporate Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley into the mix somewhat. Patterson averaged about 60 percent of the offensive snaps prior to the Week 4 injury.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson: No decision before Saturday
Rotowire
Coach Arthur Smith said the Falcons will wait until Saturday to make a decision on Patterson (knee) returning for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
Patterson returned to practice Wednesday and was designated to return from injured reserve. He's apparently avoided setbacks with the knee issue that required a minor procedure in early October, but the Falcons aren't yet ready to commit (as of Friday) to placing him back on the active roster. If that does end up happening, Patterson will take aim at a struggling Chargers defense that's given up a league-worst 5.7 yards per carry this season.
