Bijan Robinson’s Stock Is Rising in PFF’s Fantasy Football Rankings

Expectations for Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson in 2023 were so high that his 1,463 yards and 8 touchdowns from scrimmage in 2023 were considered a disappointment.

The No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was often a punchline when describing former head coach Arthur Smith’s inability to get the ball to his best weapons. Smith’s critics may have been right.

Although he finished 10th in the NFL in yards from scrimmage, Robinson finished 19th in carries with 214. He only had 15+ carries four times as a rookie.

That’s not to take anything away from backfield teammate Tyler Allgeier, who had 186 carries, but running backs aren’t taken with top-10 picks to develop them.

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No one will be happy to see Robinson sit on the bench for three or four years.

Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus (PFF) is counting on Robinson to become much more of a focal point in the Falcons’ offense in 2024. He ranks Robinson second in his fantasy football rankings, only behind Christian McCaffrey.

His full rankings haven’t been released, but if he’s the No. 2 running back, he’ll likely be the No. 2 player overall. He broke down the running backs into tiers and put McCaffrey in his own tier, which is understandable after posting 2,023 total yards to match the year and 21 total touchdowns.

Robinson and Breece Hall of the New York Jets are considered second tier, while Kyren Williams of the LA Rams ranks fourth and starts the third tier.

The Falcons have thrown “position value” to the wind in two of the three drafts led by Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot. They made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end in history when they took him 4th overall in 2021.

They resisted conventional wisdom and selected Robinson in 2023.

Failing to get the most out of his high-end draft picks during his tenure that included three straight seven-win seasons is one of the main reasons Arthur Smith is now working in Pittsburgh.

This is also one of the main reasons why Fontenot signed Kirk Cousins ​​to a 4-year, $180 million contract. Cousins ​​and new coach Raheem Morris are currently tasked with getting the most out of Atlanta’s young stars. Pitts has two years left on his contract, and time is still running out for running backs.

According to PFF’s Fantasy Football rankings, they are counting on Robinson to live up to the lofty expectations he arrived with.

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