Week 10 at Cleveland Browns
Tevin Coleman rushed 13 times for 88 yards and also caught five-of-seven targets for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons’ Week 9 win over the Redskins. It was Coleman’s best performance of the season, as Atlanta’s offensive line pushed Washington’s defensive front off the ball repeatedly. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian also made Coleman more of a part of the passing game, which generated big plays thanks to the running back being a mismatch versus linebackers and safeties. Coleman has largely disappointed since becoming Atlanta’s No. 1 back, but he remains in the RB2 mix. Ranked as our RB14 for Week 10, Coleman has an excellent matchup this Sunday against the Browns, who rank 28th against fantasy running backs.
Week 9 at Washington Redskins
Tevin Coleman rushed 11 times for 50 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 7 win over the Giants. Coleman has mostly disappointed filling in for Devonta Freeman but he has found the end zone in each of his last two games. Ito Smith continues to work in but Coleman out-gained the rookie 82-45 in the win over the Giants, and also finished with four more touches. Coleman has a tough matchup on Sunday when the Falcons travel to D.C. to take on a Washington defense that ranks 5th against fantasy running backs this season. Ranked as our RB22, view Coleman as a low-end RB2 for Sunday. That said, he remains a fantasy starter by virtue of him being Atlanta’s lead back.
Week 7 vs. New York Giants
Tevin Coleman rushed 10 times for 35 yards and caught 1-of-2 targets for six yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 6 win over the Bucs. Coleman is now Atlanta’s lead back with Devonta Freeman being placed on injured reserve but he has disappointed the past four weeks. Only once during that span did he eclipse 50 yards rushing and the most receptions he’s had in a single game is four. Steve Sarkisian refuses to use Coleman as a receiver out of the backfield and fantasy owners have paid for it thus far. Again though, Coleman will be the Falcons’ No. 1 back, which gives him value as an RB2. Ranked as our RB14 for Week 7, Coleman will face a Giants defense on Monday night that ranks 22nd against fantasy running backs. He’s a solid RB2 play.
Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tevin Coleman rushed seven times for 15 yards in the Falcons’ Week 5 loss to the Steelers, adding two catches for 15 additional yards. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is hardly the problem in Atlanta anymore, as the Falcons defense has been decimated by injuries. That said, why Sarkisian refuses to use Coleman more in the passing game is mind-boggling, especially considering how much pressure Matt Ryan saw in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, Coleman will be a RB2 option on Sunday when the Falcons host the Bucs because Devonta Freeman’s (knee) status is in doubt. Monitor in the situation leading up to Sunday and if Coleman starts, get him in your lineup. He has a great matchup against a Tampa Bay defense that loves to give up yards and points to opposing offenses.
Week 5 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Tevin Coleman rushed 14 times for 51 yards and caught all three of his targets for 26 yards in the Falcons’ Week 4 loss to the Bengals. Coleman lost 10 touches to rookie Ito Smith and didn’t see the end zone but he looked explosive with the ball in his hands. With Devonta Freeman (knee) expected back for Week 5, Coleman will return to his role as the No. 2 running back in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Ranked as our RB30 for Week 5, we would avoid Coleman when the Falcons travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday (provided Freeman doesn’t suffer a setback from now until kickoff).
Week 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Tevin Coleman rushed for only 33 yards on 15 carries while also catching two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 3 loss to the Saints. He saved his fantasy day with the touchdown, but Coleman was a dud despite Atlanta and New Orleans combining for 80 total points. Why Steve Sarkisian doesn’t get Coleman more involved in the passing game is befuddling. Either way, the Saints bottled him up all game. Devonta Freeman was officially limited in practice on Thursday and could return on Sunday. If Freeman plays, then Coleman should be removed from all fantasy lineups. If Freeman is out again, then Coleman is a viable RB1 against the Bengals. He currently ranks as our No. 8 RB for Week 4. He should rebound, again, assuming Freeman is out.
Week 3 vs. New Orleans Saints
Tevin Coleman rushed 16 times for 107 yards in the Falcons’ Week 2 win over the Panthers. He also caught all four of his targets for an additional 18 yards. With Devonta Freeman sidelined for a few weeks due to a lingering knee injury, Coleman will serve as the Falcons’ No. 1 back moving forward. He’s more than capable of handling the role, as he showed excellent burst on several big runs throughout the Carolina game. Ranked as our No. 5 RB heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Saints, Coleman is a bona fide RB1 for Week 3.
Week 2 vs. Carolina Panthers
Tevin Coleman rushed nine times for 19 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons lost to the Eagles in Week 1. With Devonta Freeman battling a knee injury during the game, Coleman emerged as Atlanta’s top back in the second half. Freeman missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday. If he also misses practice on Friday, then Coleman will be in line to start on Sunday when the Falcons host the Panthers. If you’re a Freeman owner who also has Coleman, feel free to start him as your RB2. He proved a year ago when Freeman missed extended time due to injuries and a concussion that he’s a capable fantasy starter. That said, if Freeman plays, then Coleman is merely a FLEX option for Sunday against the Panthers. He ranks as our No. 30 RB for Week 2.
Week 1 at Philadelphia Eagles
Tevin Coleman finished the preseason with 81 yards on 15 carries. He saw most of the first-team reps with Devonta Freeman out but will return to his No. 2 RB role for the regular season. Coleman is a low-end RB1 when Freeman is out but will be relegated to a RB3/FLEX play when the latter is healthy. Ranked as our No. 37 RB for Week 1, avoid Coleman on Thursday night when the Falcons travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in the season-opener.
Fantasy Upside
Tevin Coleman took a slight step back last season, finishing as fantasy's RB22 after a top-20 finish (RB17) in 2016. That said, he was nevertheless productive and will once again have a role in Atlanta's offense as the team's No. 2 back behind Devonta Freeman. Coleman expects to be more involved in the passing game this season after he finished with 27 receptions last season. He was productive on those 27 catches, averaging 11.1 yards per attempt with three touchdowns. Heading into 2018, he's one of the top committee backs in the NFL.
Fantasy Downside
It'll be interesting to see how the Falcons handle Coleman's role with his contract expiring at the end of the season. The team has already doled out big contracts to Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, Jake Matthews, and Julio Jones over the last few seasons. How much money is left for Coleman when key defenders Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley, and Ricardo Allen are also due pay raises? Atlanta took former Southern Miss back Ito Smith in April's draft and it's possible the Falcons look to get him involved if he's going to be the complement to Freeman in future seasons.
2018 Bottom Line
It's possible the rookie Smith carves into Coleman's touches but the Falcons have enough talent to make a Super Bowl run and Coleman is a dynamic playmaker. In other words, this isn't a rebuilding team with sights on the future; they need to get all of their playmakers involved this season. Thus, Coleman is a safe pick at his current ADP of 7.08. Ranked as our No. 26 RB, he's one of the top committee backs in the NFL and should make an impact for the Falcons in both the running and passing games.
