Penix Is Back, and Drake London Finally Has a Pulse for TNF

The Falcons walked into Week 3 with the worst two weeks in football and walked out with a quarterback again. Michael Penix Jr. is cleared to start Thursday night against the Packers, and Atlanta also got word Wednesday that Tua Tagovailoa is good to go as the backup. That's a full reset for an offense that has scored exactly one touchdown — a 23-yard Bijan Robinson catch from Cooper Rush — across 120 minutes of football and hasn't run a single snap inside the red zone.

If you rostered Drake London in the second round expecting production, the first two weeks were misery. With Rush and Jack Strand throwing him the ball, London was a ghost. For context, in 2025 he posted 68 catches, 919 yards and 7 touchdowns for 200 PPR points — our current WR21 — but he's trending the wrong way, down 3.4 fantasy points per game over his last five (2025 actual). Penix changes the math.

Why Penix Matters for London

When Penix and London share the field, London is the read. His target share climbs, and that's the whole thesis here. Penix isn't an elite passer, but he's a quarterback playing for his job — and London is an elite red-zone weapon who simply hasn't had the snaps or the opportunities down there this year. Expect the Packers to load up against Bijan Robinson near the goal line, which only opens the door wider for London on fade and slant looks.

Robinson, for what it's worth, remains the immovable object. He's our RB2 and No. 4 overall after a monster 2025 (1,478 rush yards, 7 rush TDs, 79 catches, 820 receiving yards, 4 TDs — 369 PPR points) and he's actually running 1.5 fantasy points above his season average over his last five. He's not the concern. The concern is whether the passing game around him finally functions, and Penix is the answer to that.

The Green Bay Side

On the other sideline, the Packers are patching up injuries and Jordan Love is quietly cooling off — down 2.5 fantasy points per game over his last five (2025). Christian Watson is worth a mention: our note last week flagged him lining up in the slot, faking a fade and crossing wide open in the back of the end zone. He's a complete receiver Love keeps hunting near the goal line, especially with the run game unsettled.

The verdict for London owners: start him and stop overthinking it. You've eaten two zeroes waiting for a functional quarterback, and now you have one plus a matchup where the defense is scheming to stop Robinson. It's a leap of faith, sure, but the upside — a red-zone target monster reconnected with his preferred passer — is exactly the ceiling you drafted him for. Fire him up on Thursday night.