After looking like his career was going to take off just three seasons ago with the Chicago Bears, wide receiver Darnell Mooney has put up less-than-impressive numbers over his last two seasons. But after signing a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, how much will Mooney reap the benefits of a more high-powered offensive attack?
Let’s examine Darnell Mooney’s fantasy outlook for the upcoming season.
Darnell Mooney’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Back in his second season in 2021, Mooney was a 1,000-yard receiver for the Bears, finishing with 81 receptions for 1,055 yards, both still career highs. But over the last two seasons combined, Mooney has been unable to match those totals.
Although he has started 26 games over the last two seasons, including 14 in 2023, Mooney has just 71 receptions for 907 yards in that span. And after catching four touchdown passes in 2021, Mooney has only three touchdown receptions total over the last two seasons.
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Of course, part of his problems the last couple of seasons had to do with where he played. The Bears were not exactly a juggernaut on offense. So much so, in fact, that Mooney’s 31 catches last season were actually second-most among Chicago wide receivers, behind leading receiver DJ Moore (96 receptions).
However, Mooney didn’t shine when the ball was thrown his way in 2023. Although he ranked third on the team in targets (61), his catch percentage was barely above 50% (50.8%).
How bad was that percentage? Consider that last season in the NFL, there were 148 players that had at least 30 receptions. Mooney ranked 145th out of those 148 players in catch percentage.
That percentage is even more disappointing when you consider that Mooney did a decent job when he caught the ball, averaging a career-high 13.4 yards per reception last year. On the other hand, that deep-ball threat only had one touchdown in 2023 and only 11 scores in 60 career NFL games.
Is Mooney a Good Fantasy Pick?
Despite being a player who has made 49 starts in four seasons, Mooney is only the No. 73 wide receiver in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings.
For a career that seems to be going downhill, the reason why fantasy managers are not giving up on Mooney’s value is his current working address. Mooney signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason and is projected to be a starter this season.
And after years of playing with mediocre quarterbacks, Mooney figures to have a much better time with veteran Kirk Cousins under center for the Falcons.
Atlanta also does not have a plethora of talent at the wide receiver position, so there should be opportunities for Mooney to resurrect his career.
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Mooney’s career doesn’t seem to suggest he’s worth wasting a pick in fantasy drafts. However, if fantasy managers are looking for value with Mooney, he should be a late-round pick at best.