Is Drake London Worth a Second-Round Pick in Fantasy Football Drafts?

It’s been a good couple of months to be an NFL wide receiver. A bunch of them got paid this offseason, including Drake London. He signed a four-year, $141M extension with the Falcons, with nearly $100M in guaranteed money. It makes him the third-highest-paid receiver in the NFL, trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ja’Marr Chase.

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Unsurprisingly, London is getting plenty of respect in fantasy circles. He’s coming off a season where he finished as WR7 in terms of 0.5-PPR points per game. He’s being drafted as a top 10 option at the position across the board, with an ADP of WR8 on both Underdog and DraftKings.

That said, London is not without his warts. He was limited to just 12 games played last year, and he faces some uncertainty at quarterback in Atlanta. Is he worthy of an early pick, or should you look elsewhere? Let’s make the case for and against before delivering our final verdict.

The Case For London

The case for London is pretty simple: he just needs to repeat what he’s already done. He was WR5 in 0.5-PPR scoring in 2024-25 (WR13 in points per game), so he’s turned in back-to-back quality campaigns. With the Falcons giving him the massive extension this offseason, they clearly believe he can do it again.

While London’s numbers last year were already excellent, it’s possible they still undersell his fantasy ability. Before going down with an injury, London averaged an excellent 16.1 fantasy points per game through the first 11 weeks. That includes a stretch from Weeks 4 through 11 where he posted a top-six finish at the position in four of six weeks. He also had a WR12 finish in that time frame, so he was playing at an elite level before getting hurt.

From a utilization standpoint, London was one of the busiest receivers in football. He had a 30% target share, 40% air yards share, and 56% end zone share, all of which are elite figures. Only two other receivers had at least a 30% target share and 40% air yards and end zone shares: Smith-Njigba and Justin Jefferson. Those are two of the very best receivers in football, and they’re currently being drafted in the top five at receiver.

It’s also possible that the Falcons’ passing attack is a bit more productive in 2026-27. Tua Tagovailoa is probably not the same guy who led the league in passing yards in 2023-24, but there’s no reason he can’t be a slight increase over Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins. Tagovailoa’s numbers took a serious dive last year, but he averaged a respectable 7.3 adjusted yards per attempt the year prior.

The Case Against London

The reason to be skeptical of London involves his quarterback. While Penix may not be an NFL-caliber starter, he has been a godsend for London’s fantasy stock. His numbers last year were pretty drastic with Penix in and out of the lineup, and while that coincided with London’s injury, he had similar splits in 2024-25:

• With Cousins (14 games): 27% target share, 12.3 fantasy points per game
• With Penix (three games): 39% target share, 19.4 fantasy points per game

While Tagovailoa may well end up being an upgrade for the Falcons overall, it’s possible that it’s a significant downgrade for London specifically. Tagovailoa doesn’t have the same caliber of arm, so he’s going to have to rely on short-to-intermediate throws. We saw that in his preseason debut, where four of his five pass attempts were directed towards Kyle Pitts.

In addition to Pitts, London also has to share the field with one of the best running backs in football. Bijan Robinson can do it all. He’s obviously a major threat on the ground, but he’s also a phenomenal pass-catcher. He posted a 20% target share, which was tied for the second-highest mark at running back last year. The other guy at 20%? De’Von Achane, who just so happened to catch passes from Tagovailoa.

It’s very possible that Robinson and Pitts become the focal points of the Falcons’ passing attack for as long as Tagovailoa is under center. That may not be all season, but Tagovailoa has already been named the Week 1 starter. If he doesn’t disappoint, it’s possible he holds the job longer than expected.

Finally, the Falcons offense took a major step back last season. They were merely 24th in points per game after finishing 13th the year prior. If that downward trend continues, London could struggle to find the end zone. It’s not impossible to be a top-flight fantasy receiver without a ton of touchdown upside, but it’s easier said than done.

Final Verdict

I have personally found it very tough to click London’s name in fantasy drafts this season. The thought of him catching passes from Tagovailoa frightens me, and by the time Penix takes over at quarterback, your fantasy team might already be in a big hole. I want players with the potential to start fast, and I don’t really see that outcome with London. Guys like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Chris Olave, and Malik Nabers all intrigue me more at slightly cheaper price tags.

That said, our expert rankers don’t necessarily see things the same way. Sean Koerner has Drake London as his WR7, while Chris Gimino has him at WR9. That puts him right around his expected price tag from an ADP perspective.

Ultimately, there probably aren’t a ton of true “downside” scenarios for London. He should be the Falcons’ clear WR1, even if the volume is a bit less with Tagovailoa than with Penix. That gives him a pretty safe floor, but I’d rather chase the higher ceiling with some of the other receivers in this price range.

Pictured: Drake London
Photo Credit: Imagn