The Falcons started Drake London and Jahan Dotson at WR in Friday night's preseason opener against the Broncos. London played just two snaps before ending his night, while Dotson played all eight of starting QB Tua Tagovailoa's snaps before they left. Interestingly, those two possessions found the QB seemingly only looking for TE Kyle Pitts.
Tua Focuses on Pitts
Tagovailoa attempted five passes before leaving the game. That included:
- three completions to Pitts
- one incomplete toss toward Pitts
- a throwaway over the middle of the field
Pitts finished with three catches for 22 yards.
How Much Does This Matter?
Clearly, the fact that London barely played in the game matters for assessing the (limited) target distribution. RB Bijan Robinson did not play at all.
Given that context, it's not at all surprising that Pitts dominated the first two drives. He, London, and Robinson figure to factor prominently in this year's offense, under new HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees. Effectively having just one among that trio available makes the game worthless for gauging their splits.
If you're looking for a Pitts takeaway: The new staff and QB clearly don't dislike him. The athletic, 25-year-old TE (until Oct. 6) should see plenty of work and stand a good chance at top-12 fantasy production for the position.
Rookie WR Running Fourth
Dotson entered camp as the favorite for the No. 2 WR spot, and we should expect him to open the season there as well.
Dotson has disappointed across four NFL seasons since Washington made him the 16th overall pick in 2022. But he's an experienced receiver who can play inside and outside, and who signed a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason.
Former Bears WR Olamide Zaccheaus worked in as the third guy, playing six snaps with Tagovailoa and running five routes, according to Pro Football Focus. WR Chris Blair followed with five snaps and four routes. Rookie WR Zachariah Branch ran a route on his only snap with the first team.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: You Don't Want These Guys
Dotson averaged just 2.9 receptions per game across his first two seasons for a team that drafted him in the middle of Round 1. Don't expect him to suddenly turn into a meaningful stat producer. The vet's no more than an end-of-draft best ball consideration.
Branch brings the most intrigue of the group, simply because he's the only one who hasn't had the chance to prove he's mediocre yet. (Blair will turn 29 in October and has 1 career NFL catch.)
It's not surprising to see Atlanta start the rookie down the depth chart, and the lackluster options ahead of him present opportunity to climb. But Branch also hit the league as a third-round slot guy (78% of his college pass snaps, per PFF) and short-range operator (5.2-yard career average target depth in college).
That type of player needs big target volume to present fantasly value, and Branch isn't in the right place to get that.
If you're looking for sneaky late-round fantasy receiving upside, don't look in Atlanta.
