Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Could benefit from improved QB play
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Robinson looks set to benefit from what should be an improved offense in his second NFL season after quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta on Monday.
Robinson, the eighth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, fell just short of 1,000 rushing yards (976) as a rookie but showcased a three-down skill set, boosting his fantasy totals with a 58-487-4 receiving line. Cousins still needs to complete his recovery from Achilles surgery, but his steady hand under center should boost Robinson's prospects, and the Atlanta offense as a whole. The addition of Cousins should also yield a more multi-dimensional offense, as Robinson and fellow running back Tyler Allgeier faced eight-plus defenders in the box 20.6 and 30.7 percent of the time last season, respectively, with opposing defenses often keying in on the run while lesser quarterbacks in Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke were directing the Atlanta offense. Robinson will be a popular breakout candidate for the 2024 campaign, thanks to the tantalizing promise of an Atlanta offense finally being headlined by competent quarterback play.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Garners 86 total yards in loss
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Robinson rushed 15 times for 75 yards and brought in three of four targets for 11 yards in the Falcons' 37-17 loss to the Bears on Sunday.
Robinson put together an efficient performance on the ground, crossing the 70-yard threshold for the second straight game. The rookie's carry total was also his highest since Week 13, but he went without a touchdown for the fourth straight contest. Backfield mate Tyler Allgeier logged 10 fewer carries but scored on an impressive 75-yard reception, so the two backs will continue to share the workload to a certain degree in the Week 18 finale against the Saints.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Gets 21 touches against Jets
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Robinson rushed 18 times for 53 yards and caught three of five targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 13-8 win over the Jets.
Robinson had just six rushing yards on eight first-half carries but found more running room in the second half as New York's defense wore down. Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson combined for 37 yards on 13 rushing attempts, so Robinson continues to face competition for touches despite being the most effective running back in the Falcons' run-heavy offense. Nonetheless, Robinson has averaged 18.7 rushing attempts over the past three games and topped 50 rushing yards in five consecutive games. He should remain the top option in Atlanta's busy backfield in Week 14 against the Buccaneers.
Robinson rushed 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown and secured three of six targets for 32 yards and another score in the Falcons' 24-15 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Robinson led the Falcons in rush attempts and rushing yards while also recording his third rushing touchdown and fifth score overall on a 10-yard run in the second quarter. He then added a key 26-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter, his third score through the air as well. The rookie now has back-to-back 90-plus-yard rushing tallies for the first time in his nascent career, which, when combined with the 38 total carries he's managed in that span, sends him into a Week 13 road matchup against the Jets with no shortage of momentum.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Tops century mark in tough loss
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Robinson carried the ball 22 times for 95 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 25-23 loss to the Cardinals.
It's the first time since Week 4 that the rookie RB has recorded over 100 yards from scrimmage, and his five-yard score in the second quarter was only his second rushing TD of the season and fourth trip to the end zone overall. Robinson's usage has been strangely erratic and not in line with the draft capital used to land him as the eighth overall pick in the 2023 Draft, but with the Falcons on bye this week, the coaching staff could get a chance to reassess the backfield workload heading into a Week 12 clash with the Saints.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: First rushing score of career
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Robinson rushed the ball 11 times for 62 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Titans. He was targeted five times but did not record a reception.
After receiving only one carry in Week 7 due to an illness, Robinson led the Atlanta backfield with 11 carries. Even with relatively limited opportunity, he made his mark on the game with a long gain of 25 yards as well as a touchdown run of 13 yards -- the first rushing score of his career. With the performance, Robinson topped 50 rushing yards for the second time in his last six games.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Set to practice
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Head coach Arthur Smith said that Robinson (illness) will participate in Wednesday's practice, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.
Robinson took on just one touch during the Falcons' 16-13 win over the Buccaneers in Week 7 after alerting the coaching staff he "wasn't feeling like himself" during pregame warmups, but he's not expected to be hampered in any capacity in Sunday's road matchup against the Titans. The rookie first-round pick hasn't missed a practice all season, and he appears likely to be listed as a full participant on Wednesday's injury report.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Won't be affected by illness Week 8
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Robinson (illness), who carried once for three yards while being limited to playing 11 of the Falcons' 65 snaps on offense in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Buccaneers, isn't expected to face any restrictions heading into Atlanta's Week 8 game against the Titans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Though Robinson wasn't included on the Falcons' Week 7 injury report, Rapoport relays that head coach Arthur Smith was made aware during pregame warmups that the rookie running back "wasn't feeling like himself." Robinson took only a handful of snaps in the first half of the contest as a result, then sat out most of the next two quarters before checking back into the contest late in the fourth quarter and getting his lone carry with less than a minute remaining to set up Younghoe Koo's game-winning field goal. The Falcons leaned more heavily on Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson as a result, but whatever ailment was bothering Robinson on Sunday isn't expected to be anything that follows him into the upcoming week. Robinson seemingly has a good chance to turn in a full practice when the Falcons begin Week 8 prep Wednesday.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Doesn't feel well, gets one touch
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Robinson (illness) rushed once for three yards and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Buccaneers.
Robinson played just one snap in the first quarter and didn't log a carry or draw a target while Atlanta went with a combination of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield. The rookie first-round pick finished the first half without a touch on six total snaps, with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith telling Kristina Pink of Fox Sports after halftime that Robinson's lack of work in the first two quarters was a result of the running back "just not feeling all that great." Neither Smith nor the Falcons announced that Robinson would sit out for the remainder of the game, but he was a spectator for the entire second half before taking the field and getting his lone carry in the final minute of the fourth quarter, two plays before the Falcons kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. Whatever apparent illness Robinson was dealing with isn't expected to affect his availability for Week 8 against the Titans, though his fantasy managers would have appreciated advanced notice about him being under the weather heading into Sunday's contest. The Falcons didn't list Robinson on their Week 7 injury report, and no reports leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff suggested he was under the weather.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Modest production in loss
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Robinson rushed 13 times for 37 yards and caught five of eight targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Commanders.
Robinson and Tyler Allgeier each saw 13 rushing attempts, but the latter was slightly more efficient, totaling 51 yards. The rookie was still able to somewhat salvage his fantasy production by finishing second on the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards behind Drake London. Robinson's dual-threat ability has been on display to start the campaign, tallying 26 catches for 189 yards and two scores across six games, but fantasy managers had higher expectations when selecting the Texas product in the first round of drafts this summer. Robinson has boomed twice already and established himself as a high-floor option, but he's yet to see over 20 rushing attempts in a game this season. If that trend continues, it'll be difficult for Robinson to finish as a top-10 running back in fantasy this season.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Contained in Week 5 win
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Robinson rushed 14 times for 46 yards and secured both targets for 12 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 21-19 win over the Texans on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Robinson was uncharacteristically inefficient against a feisty Texans defense, which held him to a long run of 13 yards on the day. The rookie's early-third-quarter fumble after a one-yard run also led to a Texans field goal, but Robinson partly made up for that with a six-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. Robinson logged three fewer carries than backfield mate Tyler Allgeier, but that's likely not going to be the case most weeks. Robinson should have an opportunity to atone for his underwhelming day on the ground in a Week 6 home matchup against the Commanders.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Shines in win over Green Bay
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Robinson rushed 19 times for 124 yards and caught four of five targets for 48 yards during Sunday's 25-24 win over the Packers.
Robinson led the team in rushing attempts and rushing yards. Tyler Allgeier finished with 16 carries for 48 yards, while Desmond Ridder added 10 rushes for 39 yards. However, unlike Week 1 when the two running backs combined for all three of Atlanta's touchdowns, neither scored during the Falcons' comeback win Sunday. Robinson was clearly the more dynamic back versus Green Bay and consistently made people miss, while Allgeier bulldozed his way to yards. Regardless, the two are expected to continue splitting carries for the time being. While this limits Robinson's overall fantasy value, it does keep him fresh for when his potent playmaking ability is needed most.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Makes professional debut
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Robinson carried the ball four times for 20 yards in Friday's 13-13 tie with the Bengals in preseason action. He also recorded one catch for six yards.
The Falcons' first-team offense played only one series, though it lasted 20 plays and 9:51 of game time. Robinson played on that drive and entered the game after Tyler Allgeier took the first carry of the game. He gained 12 yards with his first carry and was largely unremarkable otherwise, though he did manage to haul in his only target. Robinson may not take the field again until a Week 1 matchup against the Panthers, when he'll almost certainly lead Atlanta's backfield.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Expected to suit up vs. Bengals
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Robinson is expected to play in Friday's preseason matchup against Cincinnati, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Robinson was among a majority of key offensive playmakers for Atlanta who sat out last Friday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, but coach Arthur Smith said the rookie first-round pick will play a handful of snaps Friday. With 4.46 speed, workhorse size and a true three-down skill set as a part of a run-heavy scheme, Robinson is coming off the board early in the first round of most fantasy drafts. Considering the high expectations already set for Robinson, it will be hard for his preseason debut to truly move the needle in one direction or another.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Set for preseason debut
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Robinson is slated to make his preseason debut next Friday versus the Bengals, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
After Robinson and the rest of the first-team offense didn't suit up for Friday's exhibition opener at Miami, he'll be out there for preseason Week 2. He ripped off 6.3 YPC and hauled in 60 passes in 31 career games at Texas, which will serve him well in one of the NFL's most run-heavy schemes.
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Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Taken eighth overall by Atlanta
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The Falcons selected Robinson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, eighth overall.
Robinson (5-foot-11, 215 pounds) is the highest running back selection since Saquon Barkley went fifth in 2018. Like Barkley, Robinson is expected to be a three-down workhorse and a standout pass-catching threat, a setup that should allow him to become one of the top fantasy running backs in a hurry. Tyler Allgeier might be overqualified as a backup runner with Robinson now in Atlanta, but talent like Robinson's demands the first and second opportunity. With 4.46 speed and an exceptionally productive collegiate career to his credit, the former Texas back seems like a potential star at the position.
