Falcons Make Intriguing RB Depth Chart Decision Following Cordarrelle Patterson Injury

Falcons Make Intriguing RB Depth Chart Decision Following Cordarrelle Patterson Injury

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The Atlanta Falcons were dealt a tough injury blow on Monday when Pro Bowl running back Cordarrelle Patterson landed on the IR with a knee injury.

Patterson saw limited action in Week 4 before the decision to shut him down with a minor procedure, but this gave fans a clear look at the pecking order behind him. This included 10-rushing attempt performances from backups Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley in Week 4's victory over the Cleveland Browns.

On Tuesday, the Falcons announced an updated view of the roster's depth chart, but the running back position still has more questions than answers.

Falcons RB Depth Chart

Atlanta officially listed Allgeier as the new RB1, an expected decision. He was more explosive in Week 4 by tallying 84 total yards, including 42 yards on one play. The rookie rusher had already earned 19.8% of the Falcons' carries this season as well, making him an obvious choice.

However, Atlanta opted to place Avery Williams as RB2 ahead of Huntley. A quick look at their side-by-side stats makes the fanbase wonder why.

Williams saw just 1 rushing attempt on Sunday and has a grand total of 4 on the year. He's seen and caught a pair of targets, but overall he just hasn't been very involved in the offense.

Head coach Arthur Smith clearly preferred Huntley's abilities against the Browns, so it's a curious decision to still have him listed firmly at RB3 on the official depth chart. ESPN's depth chart puts Allgeier and Huntley as RB1 and RB2, respectively, which was the expected outcome following Patterson's injury.

Falcons vs Buccaneers Week 5 Odds

The Falcons will have to survive at least four weeks without their top rusher. Sitting at 2-2 on the young season, Smith's squad preps for a tough Week 5 divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta enters this NFC South clash as 8.5-point road underdogs on FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. 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.