Mooney (ankle) should now be the Bears' No. 2 receiver after the Bears acquired DJ Moore on Friday.
Mooney proved to be an excellent receiver when he posted 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2021. But last year, the Bears' passing offense struggled to start the year. Then in Week 12, Mooney fractured his ankle, and he ended the year with 493 yards. Expected to be back on the field in some capacity this spring while he recovers from the injury, he should be a much better fit as a No. 2 receiver, with Moore now expected to slot in as the top option. Mooney has shown the ability to get open at all levels of the field. Even though it's unlikely he reaches the 140 targets he saw in 2021, the quality of targets could increase with defenses focusing on Moore. After 40 wide receivers are off the board, Mooney is a player to consider in fantasy drafts for those who believe Chicago will try to open up its passing attack.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Should be back for OTAs
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Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Tuesday that Mooney (ankle) should be back on the field in some capacity this spring, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
Mooney is working his way back from the season-ending surgery he underwent to repair a fractured left ankle, an injury he sustained in the Bears' Week 12 loss to the Jets. Before getting hurt, the third-year wideout was the top target for Justin Fields, hauling in 40 passes for 493 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. The Bears are likely to address their receiving group this offseason, but Mooney should be locked into a starting role regardless of what additions Chicago makes.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Ends season on injured reserve
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Mooney ended the season with 40 receptions for 493 yards and two touchdowns over 12 games.
After breaking out with 1,055 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, it was a disappointing season for Mooney. Early in the season, he was limited by an offense that used Justin Fields as a drop-back passer behind a porous offensive line. As the Bears began to use Fields' legs more often, Mooney became more productive. Unless the Bears make adding wide receiver talent an offseason priority, Mooney could remain the team's top option in the passing game. He's under contract with the team through the 2023 season.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Goes on IR
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Chicago placed Mooney (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, Larry Mayer of the Bears' official site reports.
The move comes as little surprise after Bears head coach Matt Eberflus revealed Monday that Mooney would require season-ending surgery to address the right ankle injury he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Jets. The third-year player finishes the season with 40 receptions for 493 yards and two touchdowns across 61 targets in 10 games. The Bears are left with Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, Byron Pringle, Velus Jones and N'Keal Harry as their healthy options at receiver.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Ruled out for season
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Coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that Mooney (ankle) is likely headed to injured reserve and will need ankle surgery, which will end his season, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
As expected, Mooney's season is over after suffering an ankle injury on a run play during Sunday's loss to the Jets. He'll end the campaign with 40 receptions on 61 targets for 493 yards and two touchdowns. It'll wind up being a disappointing third season for the wideout, who totaled a career-high 1,055 receiving yards last year.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Season-ending surgery likely
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Mooney likely needs season-ending surgery for the left ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Mooney went down in pain after having his leg rolled up on. It turns out the injury was to his ankle, and while further tests are necessary for confirmation, the expectation is that Mooney will need season-ending surgery. He'll likely finish his third NFL season with 40 catches for 493 yards and two touchdowns on 61 targets, getting less than halfway to last year's career-high 1,055 yards.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Injures leg Sunday
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Mooney left Sunday's game at the Jets with an apparent leg injury, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
On the first play of the Bears' second drive of the third quarter, Mooney stayed on the turf for a spell as he was tended to by team trainers. He then wasn't able to put any weight on his left leg as he was assisted to the locker room. The nature of the issue is unknown, but Chicago may have to go with Equanimeous St. Brown, Chase Claypool, Dante Pettis, Byron Pringle and Velus Jones at wide receiver for the rest of Week 12.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Finds end zone in Week 11 loss
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Mooney caught four of five targets for 29 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 loss to Atlanta.
Mooney capped Chicago's first possession with a 16-yard touchdown catch. He got behind his defender deep downfield on the next drive, but Justin Fields overthrew the speedy wide receiver. Chicago went with a run-heavy approach the rest of the way, and Mooney actually finished with team-high totals in targets and catches. Fields hurt his non-throwing shoulder late in the game, but even if the starting quarterback plays in Week 12 against the Jets, Mooney will be tough to trust against standout rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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This game features two depleted defenses, so it's not hard to make the argument to start almost anyone in the game. The worry for Mooney is that the Bears try to run on Atlanta to take pressure off of Justin Fields and leave him in the six-target lurch. There's also the Falcons run game, which should be effective in controlling the clock and putting points on Chicago. Mooney is a flex at best who should be benched for Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell and George Pickens.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Four catches Sunday
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Mooney caught all four of his targets for 57 yards in Sunday's 31-30 loss to the Lions.
The four targets represented Mooney's lowest volume since Week 2, but the third-year wideout did what he could with them. Cole Kmet has emerged as Justin Fields' favorite option in recent weeks, leading the Bears with seven targets Sunday and catching five TDs over the last three games, but no other Chicago player saw more than two targets. Mooney remains the top WR in a low-volume passing attack heading into a Week 11 clash with the Falcons.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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As Justin Fields continues to improve, so does Mooney, who is worth using as a starter in all three-receiver leagues for Week 10 against Detroit. Mooney just scored his first touchdown in Week 9 against Miami, and he finished with seven catches for 43 yards on eight targets for 17 PPR points. He's now scored at least 12 PPR points in four of his past six games, and Fields is starting to improve as a passer. He has great matchups this week against the Lions, who have allowed 11 receivers to score at least 15 PPR points this year. In two games against Detroit in 2021, Mooney had 10 catches for 148 yards on 15 targets, scoring at least 17 PPR points in each meeting.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
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As Justin Fields continues to improve, so does Mooney, who is worth using as a starter in all three-receiver leagues for Week 10 against Detroit. Mooney just scored his first touchdown in Week 9 against Miami, and he finished with seven catches for 43 yards on eight targets for 17 PPR points. He's now scored at least 12 PPR points in four of his past six games, and Fields is starting to improve as a passer. He has great matchups this week against the Lions, who have allowed 11 receivers to score at least 15 PPR points this year. In two games against Detroit in 2021, Mooney had 10 catches for 148 yards on 15 targets, scoring at least 17 PPR points in each meeting.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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It's too good of a matchup for Mooney for Fantasy folks to ignore. Their pass rush may be starting to get going, but quarterbacks have been putting up nice numbers against Detroit (when they haven't been throwing sloppy interceptions). There should be solid opportunities for Mooney to have a good game, if not a great one. I'd take the chance on Mooney over DeVonta Smith, Diontae Johnson and Chris Godwin.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 10 Waiver Priority List
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Mooney just scored his first touchdown in Week 9 against Miami, and he finished with seven catches for 43 yards on eight targets for 17 PPR points. He's now scored at least 12 PPR points in four of his past six games, and Justin Fields is starting to improve as a passer. Mooney is a slam-dunk starter in three-receiver leagues and should be rostered in all formats. He has great matchups this week against the Lions and in Week 11 against the Falcons. Mooney is worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: First TD of '22 in loss
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Mooney secured seven of eight targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 35-32 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. He also rushed once for two yards.
Mooney led the Bears in receptions, receiving yards and targets while also recording his first touchdown of the season on a nifty 16-yard catch with 1:53 remaining in the first half. The third-year speedster's production continues to unsurprisingly run parallel to Justin Fields' improved efficiency and accuracy, as he now has at least five receptions in three of his last four games. Mooney will aim for another trip to the end zone in a favorable Week 10 home divisional battle against the Lions.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Even with the addition of Chase Claypool via trade from Pittsburgh, I still like Mooney as a sleeper this week. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. While he's still searching for his first touchdown this year, he does have at least 12 PPR points in three of his past five games. The Dolphins have allowed four receivers to score at least 13 PPR points in their past three games, and Mooney should hopefully see some easier coverage with Claypool to help. As for Claypool, I'd consider him a low-end No. 3 receiver in all leagues. He can certainly make plays on this secondary, but we'll see how much he plays after getting traded to Chicago on Tuesday.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Sleeper WRs
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Even with the addition of Chase Claypool via trade from Pittsburgh, I still like Mooney as a sleeper this week. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. While he's still searching for his first touchdown this year, he does have at least 12 PPR points in three of his past five games. The Dolphins have allowed four receivers to score at least 13 PPR points in their past three games, and Mooney should hopefully see some easier coverage with Claypool to help. As for Claypool, I'd consider him a low-end No. 3 receiver in all leagues. He can certainly make plays on this secondary, but we'll see how much he plays after getting traded to Chicago on Tuesday.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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Mooney had another productive game in Week 8 at Dallas with 12 PPR points, and he has now scored at least 12 PPR points in three of his past five games. He's yet to score a touchdown this season and has just one game with more than six targets, but his upcoming schedule is favorable with Miami, Detroit and Atlanta as his next three opponents. Starting with the Dolphins in Week 9, Mooney can be considered a high-end No. 3 receiver in all leagues, and he's worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Overcomes slow start
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Mooney recorded five receptions on five targets for 70 yards in Sunday's 49-29 loss to the Cowboys.
Mooney got off to a slow start in the first half by tallying only one reception for three yards, with the Bears instead heavily reliant on their rushing attack. However, he was able to make some big plays in the second half -- highlighted by gains of 36 and 17 yards -- to lead the team in both receptions and receiving yards. His volume remains inconsistent, but Mooney has at least one catch of more than 20 yards in five straight games. In that same span, he's managed a minimum of 52 receiving yards per contest.
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Bears' Darnell Mooney: Stashes (WR Preview)
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I don't want to start Mooney this week against the Cowboys, but things are trending more positive for the Bears offense. If Justin Fields is unleashed in the second half, Mooney could be a top-25 wide receiver.
