Week 3 at Dallas
Go figure. The Falcons finally find a semblance of a running game for the first time since 2011, and then Tevin Coleman breaks a rib in the first half against the Giants last Sunday. Before exiting the game, the talented rookie rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on nine carries as the Falcons went on to beat the Giants, 24-20. But the broken rib will most likely sideline him for Sunday's game at Dallas and could cost him multiple weeks. He didn't practice on Thursday, and while reports suggest he could play through the pain without suffering further injury, we'll just have to wait and see how cautious he and the Falcons are over the next couple weeks. For now, Atlanta will turn to Devonta Freeman, who will receive the bulk of the workload until Coleman returns.
Week 2 at New York Giants
Tevin Coleman finished with 80 rushing yards on 20 carries in the Falcons Week 1 win over the Eagles. It would have been an even bigger night for the rookie had a 16-yard run not been wiped out by a hold on left guard Andy Levitre. Even though Atlanta's offensive line didn't open many running lanes for Coleman, the rookie flashed his speed and playmaking ability by consistently falling forward for positive yards. The Falcons haven't had a legitimate running game since 2011, but paired with Kyle Shanahan's outside zone blocking scheme, Coleman gives Atlanta some hope. The Falcons will face the No. 22-ranked fantasy run defense this Sunday when they take on the Giants and Coleman is our RB23 for Week 2. While Devonta Freeman will still be in the mix, Coleman did enough in Week 1 to earn the bulk of the carries as Atlanta's RB1. For desperate owners looking for a boom-or-bust option, you could do worse than Coleman as a low-end RB2.
Week 1 vs. Philadelphia
The Falcons listed rookie Tevin Coleman as the starting running back on their official depth chart and he should receive the bulk of the carries on Monday night versus the Eagles. In Atlanta's preseason finale against Baltimore, Coleman rushed for 56 yards on eight carries and displayed some of the burst that made him an intriguing fantasy player heading into training camp. With Devonta Freeman slowed by a hamstring injury over the past few weeks, Coleman can take the Falcons starting backfield job and run with it in Week 1. The problem is Atlanta's offensive line, which will start a new center in Mike Person, a new left guard in Andy Levitre (acquired just last week from Tennessee) and a left tackle in Jake Matthews who just received an epidural steroid injection to deal with a back injury suffered in the third preseason game. That said, with fantasy players like Le'Veon Bell, C.J. Spiller and Arian Foster out this week, Coleman is a boom-or-bust RB2 for Week 1. Currently ranked as our RB21, Coleman is an option for desperate owners.
Fantasy Upside
Out of all the Falcons running backs, Tevin Coleman has the highest ceiling thanks to his big-play ability and Kyle Shanahan's knack for getting the most out of his backs in his outside zone rushing attack (see Morris, Alfred). Both Coleman and Devonta Freeman suffered hamstring injuries in training camp and thus, neither separated themselves as a starter. While Freeman is a candidate for early-season work as the Falcons RB1, Coleman was drafted under new coach Dan Quinn and is the better overall runner. He might not make an immediate impact, but Coleman is arguably the fantasy back you want to own in Atlanta.
Fantasy Downside
Coleman underwent offseason surgery on his right big toe and then suffered a hamstring injury in training camp. He is currently behind Freeman on the depth chart and is unlikely to make an impact early in the season. While he has 4.39 speed and rushed for 7.12 YPC in college, Coleman appears to be a boom-or-bust runner who can get bogged down until he hits the home run. There is also a chance he could be part of a committee all season if he can't separate himself from Freeman and Antone Smith, who is also capable of big plays himself.
Bottom Line
The Falcons running back situation will be like Russian Roulette for fantasy owners this season. Freeman is likely to start the season as the team's RB1, but Coleman and Smith will receive opportunities as well. Out of the three backs, Coleman has the most upside and is slipping into the 8th round of 10-team leagues. Currently our RB34, keep an eye on him late in your draft. At some point, his value will outweigh his risk.
