The Atlanta Falcons prepare for their Week 15 Thursday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while dealing with significant injury concerns across their roster. Drake London has been sidelined since leaving the team’s overtime defeat to Carolina five weeks ago with a knee injury. Will fantasy football managers have their star receiver back this week?
Drake London Injury Update
London went down during the overtime period after recording seven receptions for 119 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. The swift decision to remove him from action raised immediate concerns about the severity of the knee issue.​
ESPN’s Adam Schefter initially reported that London’s knee injury was not thought to be overly serious and that the receiver might not miss time. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoed that sentiment, stating London was believed to have avoided serious knee damage.​
Unfortunately, those initial reports about London’s status were overly optimistic. Rapoport later confirmed that London would be sidelined for at least Week 12 with a sprained PCL. This update proved troubling because PCL sprains carry unpredictable recovery timelines.​
London has yet to practice since sustaining the injury. Head coach Raheem Morris said Monday before Week 14 that London was day-to-day and a little bit better, adding that London moved around a little bit today. However, it made sense that London did not return for the Week 14 game with the Falcons playing on a short week in Week 15.​
The fact that London has not appeared particularly close to practicing makes it highly unlikely he plays again this season. PCL injuries typically require four to six weeks of recovery. London has now missed four games with the injury and has not logged a single practice session.​
Just three games remain in the season.​ The Falcons have been eliminated from playoff contention. They are still playing hard, but with no postseason hopes remaining, it remains extremely unlikely London plays again this season.
On Monday, head coach Raheem Morris said the team is hopeful London returns in Week 16. London has now gone from “avoided serious injury” to “week-to-week” to “day-to-day” to “hopeful he can return.” Color me skeptical. The team has no incentive to rush their franchise receiver back for meaningless December games when the season is over.​
London’s Fantasy Outlook
London has delivered exceptional production throughout the 2025 season. Before the injury, he posted three straight 100-yard receiving games and registered 18.9 fantasy points or better in each of his last three contests. His consistency had established him as a premier WR1 option, making his absence a devastating blow for fantasy managers. In his last six full games, London accumulated 651 receiving yards along with six touchdowns.​
Without London available, the Falcons receiving corps has lost its most dangerous weapon. Darnell Mooney has become the de facto WR1 but lacks the talent level to command the same type of target share London commanded. Kyle Pitts has seen significantly increased opportunities and has thrived in London’s absence.​
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Pitts just had the greatest performance by a tight end in the history of fantasy football (I am not counting things that happened in the 80s) with 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns in Week 15.
The fourth-year tight end has always been the beneficiary of London’s absence and sure looks like a potential league winner for fantasy managers who roster him. His monster performance against Tampa Bay demonstrated the upside he possesses when utilized as a primary receiving option.​
The Falcons have no incentive to rush their franchise receiver back for meaningless December games. With this season effectively over and no hope for playoff contention, there is no reason to play London the rest of the way. He is more valuable for the 2026 season than risking re-aggravation of the PCL sprain in games that do not matter.​
Fantasy managers who drafted London as a cornerstone piece should move on if necessary. The combination of the PCL sprain, lack of practice participation, and the team’s eliminated status makes his return extremely unlikely for the fantasy playoffs.
