Mooney was one of the best surprises in 2024, and he will look to build off that performance this season. He's worth drafting with a mid-round pick in all leagues. Last year, his first in Atlanta, Mooney had 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns on 106 targets in 16 games. He had eight outings with at least 13.2 PPR points, and he did well as the No. 2 receiver for the Falcons opposite Drake London. Mooney only had one healthy game with Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16 against the Giants, and Mooney finished with five catches for 82 yards on six targets. There's a lot to like about Mooney as a Fantasy receiver this season, especially his value, and he could be a weekly starter in three-receiver leagues with top-30 upside.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Tuesday that he doesn't know when Mooney (shoulder) will return, but he's confident it will be this year, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
It's probably not the best sign that Morris is even hinting at the possibility of a long-term absence, although he did say Mooney is being evaluated on "a week-to-week basis." The wideout left practice early July 24 after trying to make a diving catch, with subsequent reports suggesting he'd miss multiple weeks and was uncertain for Week 1 against Tampa Bay. If nothing else, this latest update confirms that the Falcons aren't sure about Mooney's availability for the start of the regular season. Wideout depth was already a weak point for the team, with No. 3 receiver Ray-Ray McCloud coming off a 2024 campaign in which he was one of the least productive starters in the league on a per-route basis (1.29 yards per route, with one TD on 87 targets). The Falcons didn't draft any wide receivers this spring, nor did they sign any likely starters in free agency, instead settling for the likes of UDFA Nick Nash and journeymen DJ Chark to round out the depth chart.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Status for Week 1 uncertain
Rotowire
Speaking Tuesday, coach Raheem Morris was non-committal on whether or not Mooney (shoulder) will be ready for the Falcons' Week 1 matchup with the Bucs, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Mooney suffered a shoulder injury in practice last Thursday and is expected to be sidelined for a "few weeks," Raimondi reported last week. The nature of Mooney's injury still isn't clear, but there's at least some concern it will linger into the regular season. KhaDarel Hodge is next up on the depth chart behind Drake London and slot man Ray-Ray McCloud should Mooney not be cleared in time to face Tampa Bay.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Hurts shoulder, out multiple weeks
Rotowire
Mooney is dealing with a shoulder injury and will be out "a few weeks," Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Mooney had to leave the field with a trainer Thursday after hurting his shoulder while trying to make a diving catch during practice. The injury certainly puts the veteran wideout's status in doubt for the Falcons' first preseason game, which will take place Aug. 8 versus Detroit, and could also impact his availability for the remainder of the preseason slate and even potentially for Week 1 of the campaign. Atlanta signed veteran receiver DJ Chark on Friday to add depth to its wideout corps in the wake of Mooney's injury.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Leaves practice early
Rotowire
Mooney left Thursday's practice with a trainer after attempting a diving catch, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
The possible injury happened toward the end of practice, without any update from the team afterward. Mooney was healthy for spring practices and then the start of training camp, after a shoulder injury cost him Week 18 of last season (his only absence of the year). His finished his first season in Atlanta with career highs for TDs (five), yards per catch (15.5) and yards per target (9.4), along with his second-highest totals for targets (106), catches (64) and receiving yards (992). The Falcons have shaky WR depth behind Mooney and Drake London, with Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge returning as the probable Nos. 3 and 4 receivers.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Full go at team OTAs
Rotowire
Mooney (shoulder) was an active participant on the first day of the Falcons' OTAs on Tuesday, Terrin Waack of Atlanta's official team site reports.
Mooney is coming off a 2024 campaign with Atlanta in which he caught 64 of 106 targets for 992 yards and five touchdowns over 16 contests. The wide receiver missed the team's regular-season finale with a shoulder injury, but he appears to be fully healthy ahead of 2025. Mooney likely will operate as the Falcons' No. 2 option at wide receiver behind Drake London this season as Michael Penix takes the reins at quarterback.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Inactive for Week 18
Rotowire
Mooney (shoulder) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Mooney landed on the injury report Thursday as a limited participant due to a shoulder injury and sat out Friday's session. He was given a questionable tag, and head coach Raheem Morris said the wideout would be a game-time decision. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Saturday night that Mooney was a longshot to play Sunday, so this update comes as no surprise. Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are candidates for increased snaps behind Drake London, while Kyle Pitts could also see a few more targets after catching rookie QB Michael Penix's first career TD pass against the Commanders to send last week's game into OT.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Unlikely to play Sunday
Rotowire
Mooney (shoulder) remains listed as questionable but is considered a longshot to play Sunday against the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Mooney was added to the Falcons' injury report Thursday after he was limited in practice that day, and he then sat out Friday's session entirely. Though Mooney is trending toward missing the Week 18 contest, official word on his status won't arrive until Atlanta posts its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Mooney's likely absence would open up more snaps at receiver for Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge behind No. 1 wideout Drake London. Tight end Kyle Pitts could also benefit from a more prominent role in the passing game.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Dealing with shoulder issue
Rotowire
Mooney practiced on a limited basis Thursday due to a shoulder injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Both Mooney and Drake London (knee, LP) were added to Atlanta's injury report Thursday, leaving a cloud over the state of the receiving corps in the middle of Week 18 prep. Friday's report will provide a sense of both player's availability ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Struggles on five targets
Rotowire
Mooney finished with two receptions on five targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders.
Mooney failed to replicate last week's healthy receiving line in Sunday's narrow loss to Washington. The veteran wideout has alternated strong and poor fantasy scores in the five games since returning from Atlanta's Week 12 bye. Mooney did notch his second 1,000-yard season in Sunday's loss, and he should be a high-floor option in fantasy for Week 18 against the Panthers next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Leading receiver with rookie at QB
Rotowire
Mooney caught five of six targets for 82 yards in Sunday's 34-7 win over the Giants.
While the Falcons' passing game took a back seat to Bijan Robinson and the team's defense in Michael Penix's first NFL start, Mooney still posted respectable numbers and led Atlanta in receiving yards. He also tied with Drake London (hamstring) for the lead in receptions, although the latter made a late exit from the game. It was a reassuring rebound from Mooney after he failed to catch a pass in Week 15 -- Kirk Cousins' last start. The veteran wideout sits only 45 yards short of reaching 1,000 on the season for the second time in his career. He will try to build more chemistry with his new QB in Week 17 against the Commanders.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
Rotowire
Mooney had no catches on one target in Week 15 at Las Vegas, which crushed a lot of Fantasy managers in the first round of the playoffs. But I'm going to use him as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver again in Week 16 against the Giants, with Michael Penix Jr. taking over at quarterback for Kirk Cousins. There should be some chances for Penix to show off his arm down the field, and Mooney is the receiver who could benefit the most from a big play or two. It's risky to trust Mooney in Penix's first start but don't be surprised if Mooney rebounds with a positive stat line in Week 16.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Dealing with foot injury
Rotowire
Mooney was limited at Thursday's practice due to a foot injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Mooney has been dealing with an Achilles injury since Week 11 prep, but a new health concern has been swapped in at the start of Week 15 prep. He's suited up for all three games in the meantime, hauling in 11 of 17 targets for 189 yards and no touchdowns in that span. Mooney's status at practice Friday and Saturday likely will be telling for his availability for Monday's game at Las Vegas.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Limited to three catches in loss
Rotowire
Mooney secured three of six targets for 20 yards in the Falcons' 17-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
Mooney was a distant fourth in the pass-catching pecking order Sunday, posting his lowest receiving yardage total since his Week 1 team debut against the Steelers. The veteran speedster was also the target on Kirk Cousins' late third-quarter pick-six, and Mooney has now been under 30 receiving yards in consecutive games for the first time this season. Mooney will look to bounce back against a Vikings secondary that's proved vulnerable to the pass in a Week 14 road matchup.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
Rotowire
Mooney will play in Week 13 against the Chargers after leaving Week 11 against Denver with a hamstring injury. The bye in Week 12 helped, and Mooney should pick up where he left off. Prior to getting hurt against the Broncos, Mooney had scored at least 14.6 PPR points in three games in a row. The Chargers have allowed five receivers to score at least 12.3 PPR points in their past five games, so Mooney and Drake London should both do well in this Week 13 matchup.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Gets back to full Thursday
Rotowire
Mooney (Achilles) was listed as a full participant on Thursday's injury report, Daniel Flick of SI.com reports.
As the Falcons emerge from their Week 12 bye, Mooney again is dealing with an Achilles injury, but after a limited practice Wednesday he experienced an upgrade one day later, setting him up to play this Sunday against the Chargers. He's averaging 4.4 catches for a career-high 64.6 yards per game, with a career-high five TDs in 11 appearances. The target volume (7.4 per game) doesn't quite match what Mooney got during his 1,055-yard breakout season in 2020 (8.2 targets per game), but his per-target efficiency in Atlanta is better than it ever was in Chicago, with the wideout averaging career highs for yards per catch (14.8) and yards per target (8.8).
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Logs limited practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Mooney (hamstring) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Prior to the Falcons' last game Nov. 17 at Denver, Mooney was added to the injury report midweek due to an Achilles issue but ultimately didn't take a designation into the contest. He then made an early exit from that contest due to a hamstring injury, but following the team's Week 12 bye, he again is dealing with the Achilles concern. Head coach Raheem Morris told Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com on Wednesday that Mooney is "looking good and feeling good," and that he likes Mooney's chances to play Week 13. In the end, how Mooney is listed Thursday and Friday likely will determine whether or not he carries a questionable tag into Sunday's contest against the Chargers.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Good to go
Rotowire
Mooney (Achilles) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Denver.
Added to the injury report Thursday as a limited participant, Mooney apparently showed enough Friday to remove any doubt about his Week 11 availability. His production has been surprisingly close to that of fellow Falcons wideout Drake London, who may have to deal with shadow coverage from Broncos CB Patrick Surtain on Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Hauls in five passes
Rotowire
Mooney caught five of 10 targets for 96 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Saints.
It's the second time this season Mooney has seen double-digit targets, and the third straight game in which he's topped 80 receiving yards. The former Bear is on track for his second career 1,000-yard campaign, with the last coming back in 2021. Mooney will look to stay productive in Week 11 on the road against the Broncos.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: WRs to Start
Rotowire
It appears like Drake London (hip) will play in Week 10 against the Saints, but that's a situation to monitor for the Falcons. But with or without London, I like Mooney as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He continues to make plays for Kirk Cousins and has scored at least 18.6 PPR points in three of his past five games, including two in a row. Now, in Week 4 against New Orleans, Mooney only had three catches for 56 yards on six targets, but the Saints secondary just got worse by trading cornerback Marshon Lattimore to Washington. Mooney and London both have the chance to go off in Week 10.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Hauls in TD in win
Rotowire
Mooney caught five of nine targets for 88 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-21 win over the Cowboys.
Drake London (hip) left the game after scoring a first-quarter TD, but Mooney stepped ably into the role of top target for Kirk Cousins, leading the Falcons in receiving yards on the day and capping his performance with a 36-yard score in the second quarter. Mooney has set a new career high with five touchdowns on the season, a total he could add to in Week 10 against a reeling Saints defense.
