Mooney couldn't quite hang in there as the Bears' No. 1 receiver. He won't have to be that anymore after the team acquired D.J. Moore this offseason. It means Mooney will likely take a back seat to Moore in targets, but he could still get around five per game. Mooney has averaged more than that over the balance of his career and it hasn't helped him ever -- his career-high Fantasy point average is 12.3 in 2021, when he was Chicago's top receiver. Stuck behind Moore in an offense that won't be pass-heavy, Mooney feels destined for Fantasy benches with only occasional big-time games. At best he's a late-round pick who you might part ways with after a month.
Mooney caught two passes for six yards in the Bears' 12-10 win over the Vikings on Monday.
Mooney was reasonably productive when Tyson Bagent was the starting quarterback. In the last two games with Justin Fields under center, Mooney has three catches for 30 yards on four targets. His low floor and limited upside makes him difficult to count on each week.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Targeted once in defeat
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Mooney caught a 24-yard pass on his only target in the Bears' 31-26 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Mooney wasn't a major part of the Chicago game plan in Justin Fields' return to the lineup. Mooney has two or fewer receptions in four of his last six games, making him a low-upside fantasy option.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Held to two catches Thursday
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Mooney brought in two of four targets for 14 yards in the Bears' 16-13 win over the Panthers on Thursday night.
Mooney was coming off a season-best 5-82 line on six targets in Week 9 against the Saints, but his production took a notable dive in the low-scoring win. The speedster was a clear complementary option behind top targets DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, and even rookie back Roschon Johnson saw more targets (six) than Mooney. The fourth-year pro could potentially see a boost in his outlook if Justin Fields (thumb) is able to return for a Week 11 road battle against the Lions on Nov. 19.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Season-best effort in loss
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Mooney brought in five of six targets for 82 yards in the Bears' 24-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
Mooney got off to a fast start with a 13-yard reception on the Bears' first play from scrimmage and a game-high 38-yard grab on the last play of the opening period. The fourth-year speedster went on to set the pace in receiving yards for Chicago on the afternoon with a figure that also qualified as a season high. Mooney has a 12-203 line over his last four games after a four-game stretch during which he was blanked on three occasions, and he could have Justin Fields (thumb) back as his quarterback in a Week 10 home matchup against the Panthers on Thursday night.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Catches long pass
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Mooney caught one of four targets for 41 yards in the Bears' 30-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. He added three rushing yards on one carry.
Mooney hauled in a deep pass in the first quarter but was unable to secure any of his three other targets. He has posted between 32 and 53 yards in five games but was shut out in the other three contests. For now, he's a low-floor, low-upside fantasy option in an erratic Chicago passing attack.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Four grabs in victory
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Mooney caught four passes for 32 yards in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Mooney was second among Chicago's wide receivers with four targets in a game the team controlled throughout. On the season, he has yet to surpass 53 yards in a game while finding the end zone once. Unless Mooney begins to see an uptick in targets, he'll likely continue to be a low-upside fantasy option.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Two catches in Week 6 loss
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Mooney secured two of three targets for 48 yards in the Bears' 19-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
A game after being shut out on four targets against the Commanders, Mooney bounced back to an extent with the help of a game-long 39-yard grab. The speedy fourth-year pro could be a trade candidate with the Oct. 31 deadline fast approaching, but for the time being, he'll look to build on Sunday's numbers while working with either Justin Fields (hand) or Tyson Bagent in a Week 7 home matchup against the Raiders.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Shut out in big win
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Mooney failed to bring in any of his four targets in the Bears' 40-20 win over the Commanders on Thursday night.
Just four days after posting a serviceable 4-51 line against the Broncos, Mooney was surprisingly blanked on the stat sheet for the third time this season. The speedster's increasingly frequent disappearing acts are perplexing, especially considering he's working with a quarterback in Justin Fields that he already has plenty of familiarity with. Fellow wideout DJ Moore's increasingly critical role in the air attack (Moore lit it up with an 8-230-3 line Thursday) is naturally part of the reason for Mooney's downturn early this season, but the third-year pro could have a good chance to bounce back against a vulnerable Vikings secondary in a Week 6 home matchup Sunday, Oct. 15.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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The Bears moving on from Chase Claypool, as well as Justin Fields looking much better throwing the ball in Week 4 against Denver, should give you confidence to add Mooney in deeper leagues heading into Week 5 at Washington. He had four catches for 51 yards on four targets against the Broncos, and he could turn into a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues. Mooney is worth adding for 1 percent of your FAB.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Bounces back in Week 4
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Mooney caught all four of his targets for 51 yards in the Bears' 31-28 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.
With Chase Claypool a healthy scratch. Mooney served as the clear No. 2 wide receiver behind DJ Moore. However, Mooney's role led to him seeing just four of Justin Fields' 35 pass attempts. On the season, Mooney has posted at least 51 yards in two of four games, but his upside may be limited if the Bears' offense can't maintain the production it showed against Denver.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Shut out in loss
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Mooney failed to catch his lone target in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
After leaving last week's game with a bruised knee, Mooney was seventh on the team with one target. Unless his role increases and the Bears' passing attack improves, Mooney may not have the upside he showed earlier in his career.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Reps capped again Thursday
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Mooney (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
For the second day in a row, Mooney had his reps managed in practice while he tends to a knee issue. The Bears haven't expressed any major concern with Mooney's health, so if he's able to bump up to full participation in Friday's session, he'll likely approach Sunday's game in Kansas City without an injury designation. Through the Bears' first two games, Mooney has hauled in four of seven targets for 53 yards and a touchdown.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Limited practice Wednesday
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Mooney (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.
Mooney departed this past Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay due to a knee injury, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported after the game that the issue isn't considered to be severe. By kicking off Week 3 prep with a capped session, Mooney may be trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's visit to the Chiefs. His activity will need to be monitored in practice the next two days to get a sense of his potential to play in that contest.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Knee injury isn't serious
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The knee injury Mooney suffered in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Buccaneers isn't considered serious, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Mooney left the game early in the second half, but he isn't expected to miss much, if any, additional time. He had 53 yards and a touchdown in Chicago's season opener but finished without a target in Week 2. Mooney's next chance to take the field will be in Week 3 against Kansas City.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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D.J. Moore will have better days with the Bears, but he struggled in his debut against the Packers with two catches for 25 yards on two targets. Mooney, meanwhile, had four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, which tied for the team lead, and he should remain a go-to option for Justin Fields. Mooney is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB, and he's a potential starter in three-receiver leagues in Week 2 at Tampa Bay.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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D.J. Moore will have better days with the Bears, but he struggled in his debut against the Packers with two catches for 25 yards on two targets. Mooney, meanwhile, had four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, which tied for the team lead, and he should remain a go-to option for Justin Fields. Mooney is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB, and he's a potential starter in three-receiver leagues in Week 2 at Tampa Bay.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Scores in defeat
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Mooney caught four of seven targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers.
Mooney tied with two others for Chicago's team lead in targets, but his total was significantly higher than top wideout DJ Moore's two. In fact, Mooney led the Bears in receiving yards, with a 20-yard touchdown to end the third quarter to boot. After a disappointing, injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Mooney was one of the few bright spots for the Bears while returning to action Sunday.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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I'm excited to see the Bears passing attack improve this season with a better Justin Fields thanks to the addition of D.J. Moore. That should open up the field for Mooney as the No. 2 receiver, and hopefully he can stay healthy after dealing with an ankle injury last year. Prior to missing the final six games, Mooney had scored at least 12 PPR points in five of his previous eight outings. He could be a surprise No. 3 Fantasy receiver with a late-round pick, and he's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Targeted twice
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Mooney finished without a catch on two targets in Saturday's preseason game against Buffalo.
DJ Moore had his second big play of the preseason on one of Justin Fields' two completions. Mooney got two of the six targets from Fields, including one into the end zone, in his first game since suffering a broken ankle last November. He'll presumably be the Bears' No. 2 receiver, behind Moore, when they open the season with a Week 1 home game against Green Bay.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Not in line to play Saturday
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Mooney isn't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game at Indianapolis, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Along with Mooney, DJ Moore, Chase Claypool (hamstring), Tyler Scott and Velus Jones (undisclosed) won't be available in the Bears' second exhibition. Mooney was cleared to practice at the start of training camp after spending the entire offseason in recovery mode from the ankle injury that ended his 2022 campaign after Week 12. With the offseason addition of Moore, Mooney now is the No. 2 receiving option, at best, for quarterback Justin Fields in the Bears offense.
