Fantasy experts genuinely love to make people feel terrible about their best decisions. There isn’t anything we enjoy even half as much. It’s a passion project; it’s what drives us. We embrace any opportunity to shriek about the imminent collapse of your most essential and irreplaceable player.
Right now, across the fantasy industry, we are doing this with Bijan Robinson.
Every major platform is simultaneously featuring the same panicky story — underpinned by the smallest data samples — about Robinson’s perilous situation in Atlanta. Michael Penix and Drake London are injured; Kirk Cousins is at the controls, so things will surely fall apart. How could they not?
We are encouraging you to forget about the first 43.5 games of Robinson’s professional career and instead focus only on the second half of Sunday’s loss to Carolina.
What if he can’t function outside Penix’s orbit? What if the Falcons never score again? What if Robinson is simply doomed? Shouldn’t we cash out right now, today?
We’re just asking questions. Panic is good for business.
I will not attempt to convince you that an offense directed by the ghost of Kirk Cousins is a good thing, of course. But we shouldn’t pretend this is uncharted territory.
Last year, during the five-game stretch in which Atlanta’s season imploded and end-stage Cousins was fully exposed — when he threw one TD pass and nine interceptions — here’s the production Robinson managed to deliver:
Week 10 at NO: 144 scrimmage yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions
Week 11 at DEN: 63 yards, 4 receptions
Week 13 vs. LAC: 135 yards, TD, 6 receptions,
Week 14 at MIN: 101 yards, TD, 2 receptions
Week 15 at LV: 135 yards, one reception
Robinson rushed for over 90 yards in four of those five weeks while averaging 19.56 points per game in PPR scoring. Again, this was during the five-game sequence in which Cousins absolutely cratered. The Falcons went 1-4 and averaged only 14.4 points per game. They were abysmal, yet Robinson was his usual superstar self.
Let’s please try to remember who, exactly, we are discussing:
Bijan Robinson breaks two tackles for a touchdown!
CARvsATL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/ubyzWsH9Fk
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
This is not some standard-issue running back. One of the reasons you spent a top-five overall pick on Robinson is because he’s basically impervious to game flow, matchup or team context. We didn’t take him simply because we wanted Atlanta’s featured runner, whoever it was.
Please don’t allow the panic mongers to influence your fantasy decisions. We are not issuing a must-sell alert for Bijan at this time.
Josh Allen pummeled on Thursday night
Thursday night wasn’t kind to anyone who happens to have Allen’s name at the top of their roster. And Houston’s defense was deeply unkind to Allen.
He was sacked eight times and hit 11 times, throwing zero touchdowns and two interceptions (one of which would have been a pick-six if not for a penalty). Buffalo scored a touchdown on a kick return and still finished the night with just 19 total points.
No one is sounding the alarm on Allen from a fantasy perspective, of course — he’s only a week removed from a six-touchdown performance against the Bucs. However, the loss to the Texans was a harsh reminder of the dearth of game-changing weapons in Buffalo’s offense. It’s an offense reliant on excellence from James Cook and superhero plays from Allen. Against an elite defense like Houston’s, that formula wasn’t sufficient.
The Texans weren’t unusually spicy on offense against the Bills, but Woody Marks basically took care of all family business on Thursday. He out-touched Nick Chubb (17 to 7) and dramatically out-snapped him (41 to 13) on the same day that Dameon Pierce was released and Joe Mixon was semi-officially ruled out for the season. Marks hasn’t seen fewer than 16 touches in any of his last three games.
Joe Burrow might just be back in business
The Cincinnati Bengals are now 3-7, trailing the Steelers by three full games in the division, and, realistically, they can afford no more than one more loss. Also, their all-world No. 1 receiver expectorated his way out of this weekend’s critical matchup with New England.
Into this difficult set of circumstances steps franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, recently designated to return from IR. Burrow hasn’t appeared in a game since mid-September, but he took starter’s reps in practice on Thursday. He’s on track to beat his original return timeline by nearly a full month, and it’s not a moment too soon.
We shouldn’t view Burrow as a no-doubt fantasy QB1 in traditional leagues quite yet — not after the long layoff and with Ja’Marr Chase sidelined. But his return is obviously a welcome development and a huge win for anyone who’s kept him stashed. Well played.
So, um, about those Emanuel Wilson waiver claims …
Hopefully, you bought the optional FAAB insurance when you emptied the wallet for Wilson on Tuesday.
Josh Jacobs returned to practice Thursday, which, of course, was always a possibility after we learned his knee issue was a contusion, not a tear.
Josh Jacobs, practicing. pic.twitter.com/qjix2MMVbO
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 20, 2025
Jacobs has a history of playing through strains, tweaks and bruises, so his managers should feel relatively optimistic about his availability for Sunday. Adding Wilson still wasn’t the worst idea, even if the price was unfortunate.
Rhamondre Stevenson threatens to derail the TreVeyon Henderson train
Never take your toes for granted, people, because one day they might get turf’d. But Stevenson practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, a positive sign for his availability Sunday. His toe situation is clearly improving. We are happy for him, truly.
And yet, well … [deep sigh] … some of us definitely needed the Henderson binge to continue uninterrupted.
Perhaps we can find a compromise. Maybe Stevenson doesn’t need to return to the same 70-75% snap share he enjoyed in October. Henderson has surely earned greater trust, having made five house calls over the past two games. Realistically, we can hope for him to see 10-14 weekly touches, which seemed to be the role envisioned for him in the season’s early weeks, before his various pass-pro failings.
If Henderson sees double-digit workloads — which does not seem like an unreasonable ask, in my opinion — then he remains a locked-in fantasy starter.
New England’s rest-of-season schedule is a running back’s dream scenario:
Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 13: vs. New York Giants
Week 14: Bye
Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens
Week 17: at New York Jets
Week 18: vs. Miami Dolphins
Jaxson Dart practicing, progressing through concussion protocol
Dart has not cleared the protocol as of this writing, but he’s been advancing. Dart has been a top-five fantasy quarterback on a per-game basis since he claimed the starting job back in Week 4. When we last saw him in action against the Bears, he finished the week as the QB3. He might very well be burdened with the league’s least talented receiving corps, but that has hardly mattered in fantasy.
Practice news on Dart this week has been consistently positive:
QB Jaxson Dart was participating in practice. He’s on track to clear the concussion protocol after today’s practice.
Players not spotted at practice: TE Thomas Fidone (foot), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) and CB Cor’Dale Flott (personal: 👶).
CB Paulson Adebo (knee) was on…
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) November 20, 2025
It’s certainly possible that interim head coach Mike Kafka will attempt to dissuade the rookie from running as often (or as recklessly), but it’s in Dart’s nature to scramble. When he’s active, he’s un-benchable.
Bucky Irving remains limited in practice; status unclear
Irving is now in his second week of limited practice sessions, so we should be feeling somewhat optimistic about his chances to return Sunday night against the Rams. However, certain tea leaves are telling a pessimistic story:
On the Rondé Barber show on @WFLA, Bucs legend Barber said that “Bucky Irving is not going to be back for Sunday Night Football” this week. Barber also calls the games for the Buccaneers Radio Network.
It might be another week of Sean Tucker and Rachaad White.
— Andrew Cooper (@CoopAFiasco) November 20, 2025
L.A.’s defense has been particularly stingy to opposing rushers, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns on the season, so we’re not talking about a prime matchup. Irving would not rank as a must-start if cleared for this one.