Cordarrelle Patterson Fantasy Football Outlook 2022 (Don't Overlook Atlanta's Top Weapon Last Season)

It's safe to say any fantasy manager that picked up Cordarrelle Patterson from the waiver wire last season was more than happy. The Atlanta Falcons' offensive weapon finished as the No. 9 running back in PPR-scoring leagues thanks to 1,166 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.

With that being the case, question marks surrounding Patterson's role and Atlanta's offense as a whole are causing him to drop in fantasy football rankings. His average draft position (ADP) has him going as the 39th running back off the board and as a mid seventh-round selection.

Cordarrelle Patterson Fantasy Football Outlook

There's no denying that it's going to be hard for Patterson to replicate the level of consistency he was showing in the first 14 weeks of the 2021 season. The 31-year-old averaged 15.8 PPR fantasy points per game during that span before a lackluster end to the season left a sour taste in fantasy managers' mouths. The addition of fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier and new quarterback in Marcus Mariota seems to be scaring people more than it should, though.

Yes, Tyler Allgeier was drafted to help guide the rushing attack and Mariota is less likely to target Patterson in the passing attack than Matt Ryan was given he's a rushing QB. However, Allgeier is simply taking on the Mike Davis Role from last season and RBs averaged 4.6 targets per game during Mariota's last stint with the Tennessee Titans. Patterson led all NFL ball-carriers with a 25% target rate on route run in 2021 and now gets to play without Calvin Ridley or Russell Gage on the field. There's no reason to believe he won't lead Atlanta in touches for the second year in a row.

Keep in mind Patterson returned to the Falcons in free agency because he thrived under the tutelage of head coach Arthur Smith. He was one of just four RBs to see at least 150 carries and 69 targets in 2021. Patterson also saw his snap count rise from 39.4% in the first six games to 52.9% in the last 11 games. Trust was obviously gained with the coaching staff and that makes Patterson a low-risk, high reward option in fantasy football this fall.

Cordarrelle Patterson Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook expect Patterson's versatility to result in a mixed year. In fact, he is not listed in the odds to lead the NFL in statistical categories like rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receiving yards or receiving touchdowns. When taking Patterson's career average of 7.3 yards per touch into account, his 1,166-yard from scrimmage season last year actually could've gone much better. If Patterson sees upward of 200 touches again, he was a legitimate shot to set a career-high mark and be one of the biggest steals in fantasy football drafts.

Is Cordarrelle Patterson a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

When it comes down to it, is Patterson someone to target in the middle rounds? Absolutely. His upside is huge and is ADP is far from risky. He's the No. 34 running back in The Duel's PPR fantasy football rankings, and is a perfect target for managers looking to wait at the RB position.

Patterson may not be a RB capable of singlehandedly guiding teams to weekly wins like he was in 2021. He is still capable of providing FLEX value every time the Falcons step out onto the field. That same thing cannot be said about players drafted around him (James Cook, Michael Carter, etc.).

If you've drafted Patterson this year, make sure to check out the best Cordarrelle Patterson fantasy football team names for your squad.

New users earn an instant FREE entry when you sign up for FanDuel DFS! Sign Up Now!

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.