Darnell Mooney DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Atlanta Falcons plan to target wide receiver Darnell Mooney more often during the 2025 season, according to wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard. "We're going to lean on him a lot more than we did last year and see where that goes," Hilliard said. Mooney impressed during his first campaign as a Falcon last year, catching 64 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns through 16 games. He was the overall WR31 in PPR leagues despite missing the season's final contest with a shoulder injury. Mooney said he performed well on deep routes last year, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. acknowledged how difficult he is to cover one-on-one. Operating alongside another talented receiver in Drake London, Mooney currently ranks as RotoBaller's WR48 in redraft leagues. That puts him ahead of players like Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, and Matthew Golden.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) participated during the first day of OTAs, according to Terrin Waack of the team's official website. It appears that Mooney is healthy and has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined him in Week 18 last year. In his first season as a Falcon, Mooney played in 16 games, catching 64 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns. He was the overall WR31 in PPR leagues despite missing the season's final contest. The 27-year-old should continue to make a significant impact in 2025, as he projects to operate as the No. 2 receiver behind Drake London once again. In fact, he's only trending up now that the Falcons have a steady, dependable quarterback option in Michael Penix, who will operate as the starting quarterback for the full duration of training camp (unlike last year when he opened as the backup).

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He had been listed as questionable but had an unfavorable outlook after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that Mooney faced an uphill battle to suit up this weekend. His absence should lead to an increased role for Ray-Ray McCloud III, who is the overall WR54 in PPR leagues with 58 catches, 620 yards, and one touchdown through 16 games. McCloud has quietly put together the best season of his career and possesses WR3/FLEX upside in his increased role Sunday.