Bijan Robinson's Stock is Up on PFF's Fantasy Football Rankings

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is expected to be one of the most valuable players in fantasy football.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The 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 top weapons. Smith's critics may have had a point.

Despite finishing 10th in the NFL in yards from scrimmage, Robinson was 19th in carries with 214. He only had more than 15 carries four times as a rookie.

Not to take anything away from backfield-mate 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 is going to be happy to see Robinson sit on the bench for three or four years.

Pro Football Focus's (PFF) Nathan Jahnke is counting on Robinson becoming much more of a focal point in the Falcons' attack in 2024. He has Robinson ranked as the No. 2 running back 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 overall player. He put the running backs into tiers and has McCaffrey in a tier of his own, understandable after he posted 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 with Kyren Williams of the LA Rams rankings fourth and beginning tier three.

The Falcons threw "positional 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 No. 4 overall in 2021.

They bucked conventional wisdom and selected Robinson in 2023.

Failing to get the most of his premium draft choices in his tenure that included three-consecutive-seven win seasons is a big reason Arthur Smith now working in Pittsburgh.

It's also a big reason Fontenot signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180-million contract. Cousins and new coach Raheem Morris are being charged with getting the most our of Atlanta's young stars right now. Pitts has two-years left on his contract, and the clock is always ticking on running backs.

According the PFF's fantasy football rankings, they're banking on Robinson to reach the lofty expectations he arrived with.

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