The Atlanta Falcons have been far more competitive to open the 2022 season than many folks expected. After coming up just short in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons very nearly pulled off a crazy comeback against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, but ended up losing by a final score of 31-27.
Through two weeks of the season, there are still a lot of questions regarding their team, particularly their offense. Quarterback Marcus Mariota has shown flashes of his skill, but many of his top playmakers haven't been utilized to their full capacity early on. Kyle Pitts has just four catches through two games and Cordarrelle Patterson was quiet against the Rams. Drake London has really been the only source of consistency in the early going.
That inconsistency has opened the door for some fantasy football sleepers to emerge on Atlanta's roster. In fact, it looks like one might have emerged right in front of our eyes during the Falcons game against the Rams. Let's take a look at who that player is and explore how he could help your fantasy team out in Week 3.
Falcons Week 3 fantasy football sleeper
RB Tyler Allgeier
Patterson opened the season with a strong outing in Week 1 in which he picked up 120 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. After being a fantasy revelation for the Falcons last season, Patterson slowed down towards the end of the season, so it was exciting to see him put up a strong performance to open the season. But against the Rams, Patterson came back down to earth with just 41 yards on ten carries.
While Patterson's struggles aren't necessarily surprising considering the Rams strong front seven, it was surprising to see rookie running back Tyler Allgeier get the same amount of carries out of the backfield as Patterson. Allgeier wasn't any more effective than Patterson, as he only picked up 30 yards on ten carries, but it was interesting to see him get such a large amount of work out of the backfield after he didn't even suit up in Week 1.
Whereas Patterson initially seemed set to have full control in Atlanta's backfield, that doesn't really seem to be the case anymore. It's not necessarily surprising to see either of these guys struggle against the Rams, but they are set for a much more friendly matchup next week against the Seattle Seahawks, which could make Allgeier an extremely unexpected sleeper pick for Week 3.
The Falcons used a fifth-round pick on Allgeier in the 2022 NFL Draft, and it wasn't immediately known whether he would factor into Atlanta's offense in his rookie season. After two weeks, that question is still pertinent. Allgeier seems likely to have a role moving forward considering he had the same amount of carries as Patterson in Week 2, but again, he didn't play at all in Week 1.
Considering how even the workload was between Allgeier and Patterson in Week 2, it makes sense to take a flier on him as a sleeper in Week 3. The Falcons are seemingly skeptical of whether Patterson's production from last season is repeatable, and they appear intent on giving some work to Allgeier given Patterson's inconsistencies.
The fact of the matter is that Patterson is still going to be the lead running back for the time being, but that doesn't mean that will be the case all season long. Allgeier's rookie debut wasn't exactly impressive, but it looks like he's going to be given a chance to prove he belongs in Atlanta's backfield throughout the season.
From a fantasy perspective, Allgeier is an investment that likely will not pay off right away. Patterson still outproduced him against the Rams even with the same amount of touches, and he is still a much bigger threat in the passing game than Allgeier. If the Falcons want to win games, they will roll with Patterson for the time being.
But it's also clear that Patterson's job security isn't as safe as it once was. He only averaged four yards per carry last season, and while he's at five yards per carry through two games this season, that's due primarily to a strong Week 1 performance. We've already seen Patterson come back down to earth against the Rams tough front seven.
Allgeier having the same volume of carries as Patterson makes him worth an extra look in fantasy leagues if you have a spot on your bench open for a sleeper pick up. If he can end up taking over the majority of the carries from Patterson, chances are he will have some real value later on in the season. For now, Allgeier doesn't offer much, but there's a chance this could be the last chance you will have to pick him up without having to battle for him on waivers.
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