Mooney (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.
Mooney has opened this week with consecutive capped sessions due to a knee injury, giving him just one more chance to get back to full participation before the Falcons potentially tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Carolina. Considering he's coming off a 9-105-2 performance on 16 targets last Thursday against the Buccaneers, he's regained some sway in the fantasy realm while working with QB Kirk Cousins.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: WRs to Start
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Mooney has been fantastic this season, and he should have the chance for another quality outing in Week 6 against the Panthers. Mooney has scored at least 14.6 PPR points in three of his past four games, including a monster performance in Week 5 against Tampa Bay with nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets. Six receivers have scored at least 17.5 PPR points against Carolina this season, and I like Drake London and Mooney to both do well in this matchup on the road.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Tending to knee issue
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Mooney was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Mooney is coming off a season-best performance against the Buccaneers in Week 5, when he tallied nine catches (on 16 targets) for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He clearly is on the same page with quarterback Kirk Cousins, as the pair already have connected for eight receptions of 20-plus yards through five games. Now that Mooney has made an appearance on the Falcons' first Week 6 practice report, his status will be one to watch as the weekend approaches to ensure he isn't in danger of missing Sunday's contest at Carolina.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Standout night in OT victory
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Mooney brought in nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons' 36-30 overtime win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Mooney led the Falcons in receiving touchdowns and targets on the night while checking in second in catches and receiving yards to Drake London. The speedster found the end zone from 24 and 12 yards out in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, his second and third touchdowns of the season and Atlanta tenure. However, as good as Mooney's night was, it could have been marred by a drop of a very catchable third-down pass just past the midway point of the fourth quarter that was followed by a blocked Younghoe Koo field-goal attempt. Ultimately, the Falcons' victory and Mooney's 17-yard grab on his team's game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter helped ensure the gaffe would be insignificant, and the fifth-year pro appears to have burgeoning chemistry with Kirk Cousins heading into a Week 6 road contest against the Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 13.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Continues to be involved
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Mooney caught three of six targets for 56 yards during Sunday's 26-24 win over the Saints.
After a quiet Week 1, Mooney has been a critical part of the Falcons' passing attack, racking up 14 receptions (on 21 targets) over the last three weeks. The veteran wideout has averaged 15.0 yards per catch thus far, which is a career-high mark. Former top-10 picks Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts should theoretically lead Atlanta's offense every week, but that hasn't always been the case. Pitts didn't record a reception on three targets Sunday, while Robinson had only one more touch than backup RB Tyler Allgeier. It appears like Kirk Cousins has developed a nice rapport with Mooney, and that should continue moving forward, especially if the Falcons find themselves behind in games and resort to a pass-happy script. Cousins threw a season-high 35 passes versus New Orleans and is averaging 29.8 attempts per game on the season.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
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Mooney had three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on seven targets at Philadelphia in Week 2, and he followed that up with eight catches for 66 yards on eight targets against Kansas City in Week 3. He will continue to be a staple in Atlanta's offense, and Mooney should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in Week 4 against the Saints. Three receivers in the past two games against New Orleans have scored at least 14.2 PPR points, which bodes well for Drake London and Mooney in this matchup.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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Mooney was someone we were high on in Week 2 after he had three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on seven targets at Philadelphia, and he followed that up with eight catches for 66 yards on eight targets against Kansas City in Week 3. He will continue to be a staple in Atlanta's offense, and Mooney should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues moving forward. He's worth adding for 10-15 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Stays hot with eight receptions
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Mooney hauled in all eight of his targets for 66 yards in Sunday's 22-17 loss to Kansas CIty.
Mooney kept his momentum rolling following last week's 3-88-1 receiving line with a flawless receiving performance in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. The newly-signed Falcon brought his season numbers up to 12-169-1 through three weeks, making him a definite deep-league option while likely enticing managers in shallower formats currently viewing Mooney on the waiver wire. Another strong fantasy game from the former Chicago wideout against the Saints next Sunday would likely generate even more fantasy buzz as the NFL inches toward the quarter point of the season.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Mooney should have a prominent role for the Falcons all season as the No. 2 receiver behind Drake London, and his upside was on full display in Week 2 at the Eagles with three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. As Kirk Cousins gets more comfortable in his comeback from last year's Achilles injury, everyone in Atlanta should benefit, including Mooney. He's a potential No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, and he's worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Week 3 Adds (WR Preview)
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Through two weeks Mooney has a 19% target share and leads the Falcons with 153 targeted air yards. If Kirk Cousins can build on Week 2, Mooney could be a weekly upside WR3. He should at least be rostered in all leagues that are PPR and start three wide receivers. He also has contingent upside if something happens to Drake London.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Shows off big-play flair Monday
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Mooney brought in three of seven targets for 88 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 22-21 win over the Eagles on Monday night.
Mooney shared the team lead in targets with Drake London while setting the pace in receiving yards. The speedster got there with three chunk plays through the air, beginning with a 41-yard touchdown grab late in the third quarter. Mooney tacked on catches of 21 and 26 yards on back-to-back plays in Atlanta's game-winning fourth-quarter drive, helping set up an eventual decisive touchdown reception by Drake London. Mooney appears to have plenty of room to grow within Zac Robinson's scheme and clearly is developing some chemistry with Kirk Cousins, affording the fifth-year pro plenty of momentum heading into a Week 3 home showdown against the Chiefs on Sunday night.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Quiet in Falcons debut
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Mooney caught one of three targets for 15 yards during Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Steelers.
Mooney operated as the No. 2 wideout, playing 53 of 56 offensive snaps. However, Mooney and Drake London (two receptions for 15 yards) were kept quiet, as Ray-Ray McCloud led Atlanta's wideouts in receiving. Mooney's snap share is promising, but the Falcons' offense will need to find their rhythm for Mooney to generate fantasy-relevant numbers. This was Kirk Cousins' first game since his Achilles injury, as the veteran surprisingly didn't see any action during the preseason. Cousins' comfort level in OC Zac Robinson's scheme will likely be the key factor in Mooney's fantasy value this season.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Week 1 Adds (WR Preview)
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These are the best circumstances of Mooney's career. He has Kirk Cousins at QB and he has Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts to draw attention. He won't be a consistent option, be he'll have spike week potential every week, which is exactly what you should want from a WR4 or second flex.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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The Falcons added Mooney from Chicago this offseason to be their No. 2 receiver opposite Drake London. Mooney will likely be third on the team in targets behind London and Kyle Pitts, but Kirk Cousins should still make Mooney viable several weeks throughout the season. He's a great receiver to stash on your bench, and he could develop into a starter in three-receiver leagues.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Locked in for key role
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The Falcons figure to be heavily reliant on Mooney and Drake London at wide receiver this coming season, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
The Falcons have sent multiple signals that they expect Mooney to bounce back from a quiet 2023 in Chicago, first giving him $26 million guaranteed on a three-year, $39 million contract and now waiting until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft before taking a wide receiver (Casey Washington). There's no serious competition for the No. 2 WR job, though it is possible Mooney ends up a distant fourth behind London, RB Bijan Robinson and TE Kyle Pitts in terms of prioritization in Atlanta' offense. Still, it's not a bad spot to be in, especially for a thin, fast receiver who projects better as a deep threat than as a high-volume guy.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Not playing in finale
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Mooney (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Packers.
Mooney will sit out the season finale after he has been unable to resume practicing in any capacity since experiencing concussion symptoms following the Bears' Week 16 win over the Cardinals. Before missing the team's final two games of the 2023 campaign, Mooney was active for each of the first 15 contests and recorded a 31-414-1 receiving line on 61 targets. The 26-year-old is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, and while the Bears could look to retain him, Mooney could be pushed down a spot or two on the depth chart after he was one of the NFL's least-productive No. 2 receivers when healthy in 2023.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Remains in concussion protocol
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Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that Mooney remains in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
Mooney sat out Chicago's Week 17 win over the Falcons and remains in the protocol as the Bears prepare to face the Packers in their season finale this Sunday. With Chicago eliminated from playoff contention and Mooney set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, the team has little incentive to rush the wide receiver back into action unless he's able to clear the five-step protocol in advance of the weekend.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Won't play Week 17
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Mooney (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Mooney entered concussion protocol earlier in the week and failed to gain clearance before Sunday's game. If he clears concussion protocol next week, Mooney could be available for Chicago's season finale against the Packers. Otherwise, he'll finish his fourth NFL season with 31 catches for 414 yards and one touchdown on 61 targets.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sits out another practice
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Mooney (concussion) didn't participate in Thursday's practice.
In the wake of Mooney self-reporting concussion symptoms Monday, he has yet to mix into any drills during Week 17 prep. He has Friday's practice available to him to show any sign of progress through the protocol for head injuries, but another absence likely would imply upcoming inactive status Sunday against the Falcons. If Mooney is out this weekend, Tyler Scott, Equanimeous St. Brown (pectoral), Velus Jones and Trent Taylor would be the candidates for WR reps alongside the Bears' top option DJ Moore.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: No practice reps Wednesday
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Mooney (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, head coach Matt Eberflus revealed that Mooney self-reported concussion symptoms Monday, and the wide receiver has since been placed in the five-step protocol for head injuries, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. If Mooney doesn't resume practicing as at least a limited participant by Friday, he would likely be in danger of missing his first game of the season Sunday versus Atlanta. In such a scenario, Equanimeous St. Brown (pectoral), Tyler Scott and Velus Jones could get more run behind the Bears' top wide receiver, DJ Moore.