Darnell Mooney had a career day on Thursday night in Week 5 for the Atlanta Falcons, setting single-game bests in targets (tied, 16) and touchdowns (his first multi-TD effort through the air). However, Mooney popped up on the injury report with a knee ailment leading into Week 6’s contest with the Carolina Panthers.
What is the latest on his injury, playing status, and fantasy football outlook?
Darnell Mooney Injury Update Week 6
Mooney had an explosive day in Atlanta’s cinematic win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While it’s unclear when or how he got injured, his knee issue is new, as he was not on the injury report leading into Week 5.
However, given his high usage in an overtime bout, it’s possible Mooney’s practice participation could be precautionary. He played 98% of the team’s snaps in a long game, totaling 85 snaps, 11 more than any other game in his career.
SEE MORE: NFL Injury Report
Mooney was limited on Wednesday and Thursday but upgraded to a full participant on Friday, a promising development for his Week 6 status, especially with a new injury.
The Falcons do not currently hold an injury designation on Mooney, setting him up for another potentially strong performance against a Panthers defense that has struggled all season.
Mooney’s Fantasy Outlook
Mooney has seen a career resurgence in Atlanta playing opposite WR1 Drake London. He and some of the other Falcons receivers, like Ray-Ray McCloud III, have offered a complementary skill set to London that allows everyone to succeed without stepping on each other’s toes, evidenced by four pass catchers logging 8+ receptions last week.
Mooney showed early career promise in 2021 with a 1,055-yard sophomore campaign. However, he averaged just 453.5 yards over his subsequent two seasons in a Chicago Bears offense that consistently struggled to produce.
Through five games, Mooney has already reached 330 receiving yards, pacing for the second 1,000-yard season of his career. He has 55+ yards and 6+ targets in every game since Kirk Cousins’ Week 1 dud, providing a solid floor as a dynamic WR2 in Atlanta’s offense and a trustworthy asset in fantasy leagues.
Darnell Mooney just tormenting DBs.
Flips his aiming point every time the defender adjusts their hips. https://t.co/X2rtPE5ftA pic.twitter.com/G9lnljL6l4
— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) October 5, 2024
Mooney is currently the WR14 in PPR scoring formats, and against a struggling Carolina defense, he has the potential for another strong performance. However, even if the 1-4 Panthers have been vulnerable defensively through the air (7.9 yards allowed per pass attempt, tied for the third-worst), this might not be a blow-up spot like some may expect.
Given Carolina’s struggles (-16.4 scoring margin), teams are not throwing as often (28.8 t-sixth-fewest per game). The Panthers allow the seventh-most rushing yards per game but are outside the 10-worst pass defenses in yards per game. However, given Mooney’s stable target counts, he could still get there with efficiency (Carolina allows the third-most yards per pass attempt, 7.9).
Mooney ranks as a low-end WR2/high-end Flex play in Week 6 according to PFN’s Consensus Rankings against a favorable matchup that may have a lower ceiling than expected. You can use PFN’s free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer to best set up your team for success.