Beat: Jahan Dotson ‘probably’ the WR2 this year

London fought through a tackle on a 21-yard catch in the fourth quarter for his first touchdown catch of the season. He was also open for a touchdown earlier in the game, but Michael Penix Jr. sailed the pass over his head. London had twice as many targets as any other pass catcher in Atlanta and should continue to get elite usage in this offense. He did leave the game to be evaluated for a concussion, and while he was able to return to the field, it’s a situation to monitor for early practice reports next week.

London couldn’t get much going against Chicago’s middling secondary outside a 39-yard grab in the second half, with the Falcons abandoning the run game as they faced a three-touchdown deficit. Michael Penix missed London in the first half on what could have been a fairly easy 30-yard score with a better-placed throw from Penix. London almost came down with an end zone target too. No other Atlanta pass catcher had more than seven targets on the day. London will remain a top-10 option in Week 7 against the 49ers.

London started slow along with the rest of an Atlanta offense that gained just 37 total yards on their first three possessions before a 78-yard scoring drive to end the half. He would add six receptions after the break to push his season average to 127 yards per game in games started by Michael Penix. Penix departed late in the fourth quarter with a ribs injury, suddenly making London’s fantasy managers skittish after the veteran receiver managed a meager 80 total yards in two games without Penix to begin the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Atlanta’s starting quarterback’s status in the coming days ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Bears, where London will be a WR1 with Penix or an upside WR3 in his absence.

London turned in his second consecutive usable fantasy week with Michael Penix under center. The low volume can primarily be attributed to just 20 Penix pass attempts in a game Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson combined for 207 yards and five touchdowns on the ground on 33 carries. London could be tasked with more volume when the Falcons host the Ravens in Week 5, for which he will remain an unquestioned WR1 in fantasy circles.

To make the stat line more impressive, London didn’t catch his first pass until three minutes into the second quarter following a 1-of-5 start from Michael Penix. He would catch his final nine targets on his way to a massive fantasy day, combining with Bijan Robinson to set the NFL record for a wide receiver and running back duo to both go over 150 yards in the same game with three such occurrences. London continues to excel with Penix under center and returns to the WR1 ranks in fantasy circles ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Saints.

London also had a 25-yard grab called back by penalty. As expected, the Falcons simply rolled out a dead-on-arrival offense with Cooper Rush under center. Rush turned the ball over three times before being benched in the third quarter. Things didn’t get any better with Jack Strand under center. He threw an immediate pick-six and the Falcons promptly pulled the bulk of their starters from the game. With Michael Penix expected to play next week, London should return to the WR2 ranks next time we see him. If Penix isn’t available once again, London will barely register as a WR3.

Fowler said Penix, still recovering from his 2025 ACL injury, “wants to be fully confident before stepping onto the field. And my understanding is the Falcons are leaving the comfort level part of his recovery up to him.” “Penix is coming off his third ACL reconstruction, which is a lot of ACL reconstructions,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano added. “I believe it takes a lot of mental work to convince yourself it’s OK to go back out there and play. If Penix needs more time, I’m sure the Falcons will give it to him, though I believe we will see him on the field at some point this season.” That would leave Tua Tagovailoa as the team’s presumed starter if Tua can play through the oblique strain that sidelined him in Week 1 against the Steelers. If Tua can’t go, the Falcons could be forced to start Cooper Rush for another game or two. Rush, who had the lowest drop back EPA of any QB in Week 1, makes Drake London and Kyle Pitts iffy starts in 12-team fantasy formats.

London also added six yards on one rush as the Falcons looked to do anything to get the ball in the hands of their best receiver. The 25-year-old was an absolute non-factor in this one, largely because Cooper Rush was highly inefficient and ineffective under center. The role is not in question though. London played 60 of the team’s 61 snaps and ran a route on 28 of their 29 dropbacks. However, he will be tough to trust with Cooper Rush (and probably even Tua Tagovailoa) under center. London has a much better matchup next week against the Panthers, but there is some fear that he’s more of a WR2 option until Michael Penix (knee) returns.

London can make up to $150 million on the new contract, which includes $100 million guaranteed. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the deal “makes London the third-highest-paid receiver in the league with the highest average per year in Falcons franchise history.” Over the course of his four-year career, London has caught 309-of-473 targets for 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns. A knee injury sidelined him in Weeks 12-15 last year, yet he still led the team with seven receiving touchdowns. London, 24, has not yet been named to a Pro Bowl, nor has he earned All-Pro honors, but it is reasonable to expect him to bring home a few accolades in the coming seasons. London is a WR1 for 2026.

London said the team remains focused on free agency and adds that an extension for London, along with RB Bijan Robinson, may not receive more focus until after the draft. London is in the final year of his rookie contract and caught 68 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The former No. 8 overall pick has one 1,000-yard season on his resumé and has dealt with a mixed bag at quarterback since entering the league in 2022. This is the second time this offseason that Cunningham has mentioned extending London, so we would expect a deal to get done sooner than later.