Fantasy football players may want to target Falcons WR Darnell Mooney this season, according to Pro Football Focus
The Atlanta Falcons haven’t been to the playoffs in seven years, but they’ve certainly helped a few fantasy football teams secure playoff berths in recent seasons. With fantasy studs like running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, the Falcons offense should be one of the NFL’s most explosive units in 2025.
If second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. plays the way many expect this season, there will be no shortage of fantasy options for Falcons fans to choose from. If neither Robinson nor London are available, Darnell Mooney is someone to keep an eye on.
The former Bears wide receiver signed with Atlanta in 2024 and was an instant-impact player for the Falcons last season. Despite missing the final game of the year, Mooney recorded 64 receptions for 992 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and five touchdowns.
Mooney was listed among five sleeper wide receivers in a new feature from Pro Football Focus:
Mooney was a classic up-and-down third wide receiver option in fantasy leagues last season. He recorded 80 or more receiving yards in seven games, with his five touchdowns all coming in those outings. However, he was held to three receptions for fewer than 40 yards in six games. Some receivers tend to put up bigger numbers in losses than wins because their team needs to pass more often, but Mooney’s good games generally occurred in the Falcons’ high-scoring, close affairs, while his bad games were generally in low-scoring, close losses. — Nathan Jahnke, PFF
The Falcons were criticized for signing Mooney to a three-year, $39 million contract last offseason, which was fair considering he had back-to-back seasons with under 500 receiving yards for the Bears in 2023 and 2024.
However, Atlanta knew what Mooney could do in the right system. During his sophomore season in Chicago, Mooney had 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 81 receptions.
The 27-year-old should continue to serve as the Falcons’ No. 2 receiver in 2025. Don’t be surprised if Mooney records the second 1,000-yard season of his career in Atlanta this season.