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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Unlikely to play Sunday
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Questionable for key Week 18 game
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Mooney (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Mooney popped up on the Falcons' practice report Thursday as limited due to a shoulder injury, which will cast doubt on the wide receiver's ability to suit up for the regular-season finale. Atlanta needs a win and a Tampa Bay loss against the Saints to win the NFC South and sneak into the playoffs, so Mooney will be motivated to suit up in his usual starting role on the outside if possible. Coach Raheem Morris said Friday that Mooney -- who needs eight receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the second time in his career -- will be a game-time decision, per Raimondi.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Dealing with shoulder issue
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Struggles on five targets
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Leading receiver with rookie at QB
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: No catches in Week 15
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Mooney failed to secure his lone target in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders.
Mooney was a complete nonfactor in Week 15 despite playing 91 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps against the Raiders. Monday's game marked the first time in which the veteran wideout failed to record a single reception in a contest this season. The Falcons' passing attack continues to struggle with Kirk Cousins under center, as he completed just 11 of 17 passes in the game. Mooney will look to bounce back in Week 16 against the vulnerable Giants secondary, though he'll be on the receiving end of passes from rookie signal caller Michael Penix, as the Falcons announced Tuesday that Penix will be the team's starting quarterback moving forward.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Dealing with foot injury
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Blows past century mark in loss
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Mooney brought in six of seven targets for 142 yards in the Falcons' 42-21 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
Mooney led the Falcons in receiving yards on the afternoon with a figure that also qualified as a career high. The speedster was a menace to the Vikings' defense throughout the contest, recording catches of 28, 24 and 49 yards in the first half alone. Mooney also had 18- and 14-yard grabs in the second half, and his prolific performance was a sorely needed one after the veteran wideout had posted just a 5-47 line over the previous two games. Mooney heads into a Week 15 road battle against the Raiders on Monday night, Dec. 16 just 117 receiving yards shy of his second career 1,000-yard campaign.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Limited to three catches in loss
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Gets back to full Thursday
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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).
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Logs limited practice Wednesday
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Good to go
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Hauls in five passes
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: WRs to Start
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Hauls in TD in win
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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.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: WRs to Start
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Mooney is coming off another dominant game against Tampa Bay in Week 8 with 18.6 PPR points, and he loves facing the Buccaneers. But he should also do well against the Cowboys, and this game could be a shootout with an expected total of 52 points. Dallas hasn't allowed a lot of big games to receivers this season, but five receivers have scored at least 11.3 PPR points against the Cowboys in the past two games. Given the potential for this game to be a high-scoring affair, I like Mooney as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Falcons' Darnell Mooney: Paces air attack in win
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Mooney brought in five of seven targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 31-26 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Mooney led the Falcons in receiving yards and targets on the afternoon while recording a touchdown for the fourth time this season on a perfectly timed 30-yard pass from Kirk Cousins late in the second quarter. Mooney has remained healthy and turned into a steady contributor in coordinator Zac Robinson's offense, a welcome change from his previous two seasons with the Bears following an encouraging start to his career. Mooney will next take aim at the Cowboys in a Week 9 home matchup.
