You came to the right place for your Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire needs. Injuries and trades have flipped how the rest of the regular season will play out, meaning we’re here to break it all down for you. One of the potential waiver wire considerations for fantasy managers is Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney. We’re examining whether you should add the playmaker against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9.
Should You Add Darnell Mooney From the Waiver Wire for Week 9?
If you were like me and dropped Mooney in a shallow fantasy league or saw that he came available and was surprised, it’s time to reconsider adding Mooney off the waiver wire. Sitting as WR53 in PPR leagues, Mooney is rostered in 51 percent of Yahoo leagues and 73 percent of ESPN leagues. Mooney is averaging 67.4 yards per game over his last five games, after totaling just 27 in his first three.
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MORE: Chase Claypool Trade: Fantasy Impact
The limiting factor for Mooney’s fantasy relevance has been his lack of scoring. He has zero touchdowns on the year as the Bears have embraced their No. 1-ranked rushing attack. They’re dead last in the NFL in passing attempts, and Mooney has only three red-zone targets on the year.
The Bears’ acquisition of Chase Claypool further complicates Mooney’s future projections. Chicago had nothing around Mooney to steal valuable targets at receiver, but the fact that they surrendered a 2023 second-round pick for Claypool means he’ll be a starter as soon as he’s ready to suit up.
Claypool is highly flawed as an inefficient pass catcher, but offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has to get him involved after the team moved a big asset for him.
It’s also possible Claypool performs better in more varied alignments and a fresh offense. Either way, targets that were going to Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis will go to Claypool. It’s possible Mooney even loses a target or two to him, and that’s terrible news for someone who is averaging fewer than six targets a game.
While I’m far from optimistic Claypool will be a stud in Chicago, his presence hurts Mooney’s workload. The best case is that Claypool creates plays that land Chicago in the red zone more often, and Mooney becomes a priority near the end zone. That’s the only path for Mooney to improve his ceiling.
I would consider picking up Mooney based on recent games, but he’s more of a mediocre-floor, low-ceiling starting option in even the best matchups. Consider whether your roster really needs that type of presence on it.
Is Darnell Mooney a Good Play Against Miami?
Miami has a below-average defense against receivers, allowing just under 13 receptions, 167.3 yards, and 0.88 touchdowns per game. But Chicago’s inability to throw effectively and Miami’s own newest acquisition of Bradley Chubb will complicate the Bears’ ability to find opportunities. We can fully expect to see Dolphins star corner Xavien Howard on Mooney more often than not.
MORE: Week 9 PPR Fantasy Football Rankings
Claypool may not play in Week 9, and if he does, it’s hard to imagine he’d have a significant role already. We can trust that Mooney will get his usual handful of targets, but whether that’ll land between his Week 8 total of five or Week 6 total of 12 is unknown. His inconsistent volume makes him a frustrating play.
I’d only start Mooney against Miami if your lineup is truly hurting and a handful of fantasy points is a fine return for your matchup. He’s due for positive touchdown regression, but the Bears continue to have the upper hand in the run game. I think they rely on their backs and Cole Kmet more than Mooney when it matters the most.
