In a brutal double scare for the Dragons, Atkinson and Flanagan were hurt within a minute of each other before halftime on Saturday night.
Both injuries came in similar fashion, copping the brunt of a tackler on the back of their legs in contact deemed not to be of a hip-drop nature.
The Dragons had initially planned to have the pair scanned on Sunday, but now believe neither require imaging after pulling up well from the 46-20 loss.
"They weren't hip-drops, but the weight did land on the lower legs, so it's a bit of a scare," coach Shane Flanagan said.
"Both got treatment at halftime and got their ankles strapped, but they are two tough young men and knew it was important we didn't lose a half."
Red V officials therefore expect the pair to face Parramatta next Sunday, with no other injuries out of the defeat in Wollongong.
For all the concerns about the Dragons' attack going into this season, that was hardly their biggest issue as the hosts leapt out to a 20-18 lead.
Atkinson offered plenty of good signs in his second game in the No.7, including the pass of the night with a spiral cut-out ball for Valentine Holmes to score his first.
The halfback also sent Holmes over for a second try, with the pair working up a nice combination with the centre running a nice line to hit a gap and go over.
But Flanagan made no secret of his frustration at the way his side threw any advantage away, completing just two sets in the final 20 minutes.
That allowed Melbourne to run in five tries in the final quarter of the game, with Sua Fa'alogo tormenting a tired Dragons defence and scoring three himself.
"Offence isn't our problem. It's the other end, holding the ball and defending," the coach said.
"Storm didn't do a lot. There was some individual brilliance by the fullback. It was what we did to ourselves."
19°C