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WR Darnell Mooney, ATL (2 Viewers)

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Darnell Mooney (ankle) is still "progressing" from his ankle injury.

Mooney was not at early voluntary OTAs for the Bears. This isn't much of an update on Mooney after he suffered this season-ending ankle injury in Week 12 of last season. Mooney told the 33rd Team in a podcast that he had screws put in his foot and that he "will be 100 percent." The Bears have not given a timetable on Mooney's return yet. Until we get better word from the organization, drafters should probably consider him questionable for the start of training camp.
SOURCE: Kevin Fishbain on Twitter
May 23, 2023 at 3:02 PM ET
 

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Darnell Mooney (ankle) is "right on track" to be ready for training camp.

Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12 last year. He eventually underwent surgery and has been absent from OTAs to start the offseason. Training camp won't start until late July, so Mooney still has over a month before the offseason is in full swing. Even once healthy, it's hard to be optimistic about Mooney's fantasy prospects. The Bears ranked dead last in pass attempts per game in 2022 and added D.J. Moore to the mix in the offseason. Mooney projects as a volatile WR4/5 heading into his fourth NFL season.
SOURCE: Mark Grote on Twitter
Jun 7, 2023 at 2:49 PM ET
 
Any hope here?

I'm kind of glossing over his name in mocks and best balls when I see it. He had the great year 2 years ago.
Now the competition for targets has gone way up. Moore is going to eat. Are the Bears and Fields going to pass enough to support 2 fantasy relevant WR's?
I would think Kmet is the 2nd in line for looks, and then Mooney/Claypool fight for the rest.

He feels like a guy with a low ceiling, and the floor isn't high enough to pass on guys with higher upside.
 
Any hope here?

I'm kind of glossing over his name in mocks and best balls when I see it. He had the great year 2 years ago.
Now the competition for targets has gone way up. Moore is going to eat. Are the Bears and Fields going to pass enough to support 2 fantasy relevant WR's?
I would think Kmet is the 2nd in line for looks, and then Mooney/Claypool fight for the rest.

He feels like a guy with a low ceiling, and the floor isn't high enough to pass on guys with higher upside.
I don't think the volume will be there. A few spikes but overall I'm thinking he barely hovers over that floor.
 
I like him a lot more with Moore there. I traded him for a couple of rookie picks in an IDP as I needed defensive prospects, but would have loved to have figured out a way to keep him. I think he has WR2-3 upside (FF roster, not overall)
 
Will be fine with him as a flex/bye option assuming it looks like his injury issues are healed, but as I've got quite a few similar players it wouldn't take much for me to move him on
 
Will be fine with him as a flex/bye option assuming it looks like his injury issues are healed, but as I've got quite a few similar players it wouldn't take much for me to move him on
During my recent IDP rookie draft IIRC I got a 3rd and a 5th. Managed to get both DEs BJO & Anudike-Uzomah.

With performance scoring, taking two shots at a big play DE felt like the right price to part with Mooney. But I do wish I could have kept him.
 
Darnell Mooney said he will be “ready to roll” when the Bears open training camp.
Mooney was sidelined with an ankle injury late last November and didn’t play the remainder of the season. After going for 81-1055-4 in 2021, Mooney’s numbers took a drastic hit in 2022. In 12 games, he managed just 40 receptions for 493 yards and two touchdowns while averaging a career-low 5.1 targets per game. The Bears plan to pass more heading into this season, but Mooney’s target volume could still be impacted by the arrival of D.J. Moore. The fact that he’s ready for camp is a positive sign, but Mooney is little more than a late-round flier in fantasy at this time.
 
I like him a lot more with Moore there. I traded him for a couple of rookie picks in an IDP as I needed defensive prospects, but would have loved to have figured out a way to keep him. I think he has WR2-3 upside (FF roster, not overall)
I do too. I traded for him in a dynasty where I've done a complete tear-down and am slowly rebuilding. I think he has some big-play upside.
 
Will be fine with him as a flex/bye option assuming it looks like his injury issues are healed, but as I've got quite a few similar players it wouldn't take much for me to move him on
During my recent IDP rookie draft IIRC I got a 3rd and a 5th. Managed to get both DEs BJO & Anudike-Uzomah.

With performance scoring, taking two shots at a big play DE felt like the right price to part with Mooney. But I do wish I could have kept him.

I traded him away for a 2025 3rd and was just happy to get anything for him. I needed a roster spot and wanted to cut him outright.
 
Darnell Mooney caught 4-of-7 targets for 53 yards and one touchdown in the Bears’ Week 1 loss to the Packers.

Mooney brought in two catches of 20-plus yards, with his second long reception resulting in a touchdown to close out the third quarter. Mooney’s seven targets tie with Cole Kmet to lead all Bears receivers, and were five more than newly-acquired receiver DJ Moore had. We probably shouldn’t expect Mooney to lead the Bears in targets as the season goes on, but he appears to be a focal point of the offense. He’ll have some flex upside in next week’s matchup against the Bucs.

- Rotoworld
 
If the Bears defense is bad, and Claypool continues to underperform, does Mooney have a good chance at being a top 30 WR?
 
Darnell Mooney said his knee injury is a “nagging bruise” and expects to be “fine.”

Mooney left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game and did not return to the field. He didn’t specify whether or not he expects to play in Week 3 against the Chiefs, but he clearly avoided major injury here. Mooney was not targeted in Week 2 against the Browns, and will be hard to trust as anything more than a WR3 if he plays.
 
Darnell Mooney (knee) was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
Mooney himself said he has a nagging knee bruise. The injury forced him from the Bears’ Week 2 game in the third quarter. A limited session to start the week is a good sign for his Week 3 availability, but it’s not clear how effective he can be while dealing with the knee issue. Mooney was not targeted before leaving the game last week.
 
Seems like a team that is rebuilding. Mooney in last year of contract. Unless the Bears have plans to resign him, he may end up a trade target. KC could use a receiver…
 
Anyone thinking Mooney is a decent stash?

It can't be DJ Moore all day and Kmet is banged up. Next week, CHI faces the LV D at home. Could be a decent sleeper next week if you are in a bind.
 
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Chiefs are interested in free agent WR Darnell Mooney.
Fowler notes that there are other teams interested in Mooney as well. Mooney’s final season in Chicago was a disaster. He ended the year with just 31 receptions for 414 yards and a single touchdown. He posted similar numbers in 2022 while playing in three fewer games. It wasn’t all bad for him in the Windy City though. In 2021, Mooney topped 1,000 yards and scored four times while showing off his game-changing speed every other week. He would be the ideal replacement for Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who the Chiefs cut after a quiet 2023 season. If Mooney can reclaim his 2021 form, he would be a massive upgrade over MVS. A move to Kansas City would also reunite him with Matt Nagy, his head coach during that breakout campaign.
 
@32BeatWriters
“Receiver Darnell Mooney was Cousins's most popular target, as the duo connected four times in the session, though one was underneath and another was on a screen. Running back Carlos Washington Jr. caught Cousins's best throw of the day, a wheel route down the left sideline where the ball felt right into his hands.”
 
Anyone thinking Mooney is a decent stash?

It can't be DJ Moore all day and Kmet is banged up. Next week, CHI faces the LV D at home. Could be a decent sleeper next week if you are in a bind.
on avg hes the 69th WR off the board and at #187 overall. hes a guy you can get in the last or second to last round of your draft. and I love the value of that.

any possible productive player you dont have to pay for is awesome.

I do think he can put up WR3 numbers. maybe even WR2 if things fall right for him and Cousins stays healthy. but literally everything would need to go right for that to play out.
 
Anyone thinking Mooney is a decent stash?

It can't be DJ Moore all day and Kmet is banged up. Next week, CHI faces the LV D at home. Could be a decent sleeper next week if you are in a bind.
on avg hes the 69th WR off the board and at #187 overall. hes a guy you can get in the last or second to last round of your draft. and I love the value of that.

any possible productive player you dont have to pay for is awesome.

I do think he can put up WR3 numbers. maybe even WR2 if things fall right for him and Cousins stays healthy. but literally everything would need to go right for that to play out.
and Rondale Moore just suffered what looks to be a season ending injury today in practice. Mooney could be a fantastic value in the final rounds of drafts. Also looked to be Cousins' favourite target yesterday, and their chemistry and connection looked awesome.
 
Every time I read, I feel like I can tell they're trying to include him like a couple going out with a third wheel.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
Mooney has talent and has had some serious flashes. 2023 they moved him around at WR after Claypool departed week 3 and he was slow to pick up a different WR role. Not all his fault.

I think once Chicago stopped featuring him in the offense he became a bit lackadaisical out there. He was dropping passes and just making mistakes on the field. I think the 2023 season was an outlier for him, but I'm glad Chicago didn't pay him.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
Mooney has talent and has had some serious flashes. 2023 they moved him around at WR after Claypool departed week 3 and he was slow to pick up a different WR role. Not all his fault.

I think once Chicago stopped featuring him in the offense he became a bit lackadaisical out there. He was dropping passes and just making mistakes on the field. I think the 2023 season was an outlier for him, but I'm glad Chicago didn't pay him.
Yeah he’s probably a bit of a 1 trick pony
 
7 targets, same as Drake He got open. He stopped early on what could've been a long gainer.

I'm holding because he flashed as a rookie and in year 2 (1,000+ yards) with QBs Trubiski, Fields and some Dalton. Cousins is much better, and I think the rust is off.
 
Intrigued by him. Has a slinger at QB, Pitts does not seem ready to make a big impact, London drawing top cover guy, and Mooney being the top speed option for some deep shots. If healthy he could certainly hit some WR3 numbers by end of year.
 
7 targets, same as Drake He got open. He stopped early on what could've been a long gainer.

I'm holding because he flashed as a rookie and in year 2 (1,000+ yards) with QBs Trubiski, Fields and some Dalton. Cousins is much better, and I think the rust is off.
Had he stayed on the gas, he'd still be running right now.
 
Thoughts on Mooney vs KC this week?
I think he's a high floor low ceiling play this week
I have him on one team and he's in my lineup as a flex behind M.Evans and K.Shakir
Falcons offense looked much better last week
At home yea it's K.C. with a solid defense
But this game could be fairly high scoring
I think he's a solid flex play
 
Targets by week:
3,7,8,6,16

Now that Atlanta's offense seems to have figured things out, this dude is a weekly WR2. I've seen enough at this point to be confident putting him in my lineup. As long as a game doesn't go completely off the rails, his floor looks to be 6 targets. I don't think we'll see 16 targets again but I do think they're will be plenty of 8-10 target games coming up.
 
Targets by week:
3,7,8,6,16

Now that Atlanta's offense seems to have figured things out, this dude is a weekly WR2. I've seen enough at this point to be confident putting him in my lineup. As long as a game doesn't go completely off the rails, his floor looks to be 6 targets. I don't think we'll see 16 targets again but I do think they're will be plenty of 8-10 target games coming up.

Agree. I grabbed him in both my leagues after week 3. I really need him to be a WR2 given I have Rice in one league. Sadly, he was on my bench in both leagues last night, but at least I know what he is capable of.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
Hrs got the right stuff, baby.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
yeah, and Chicago has had a lot of terrible offenses. dude was still able to get a 1000 yard season and I assure you those QB are nowhere near the calibre of Cousins. I also love the upside given the price. this is the kind of player who wins you drafts. its like adding a quality starter for the price of almost nothing.
 
I tabbed him in dynasty earlier this year (not this football year) as somebody to hold and watch because

a) I had some questionable bench players
b) there's a fifth and fourth-year bounce with guys that are stuck in awful situations that get new teams with explosive attacks. They're not necessarily the greatest, but they're pretty good and if they find themselves in a good situation (I was able to get a second for Corey Davis years ago due to this) they can produce.

I almost had Darnell in the game Thursday night. 1QB 2RB 3WR 1TE 1DEF. Aiyuk, Rashee Rice, and Malik Nabers are my top three. Now Rice is hurt and Nabers isn't playing, which is fine, but I wish I had known. Still went with McLaurin, Aiyuk, and Dontayvion Wicks over Mooney.
 
Mooney is better than I think he’s getting credit for. He had awful offense situations in Chicago. He’s 26, has 4.3 speed and a 1000 yard season under his belt. Not a bad bet to make late in drafts.
yeah, and Chicago has had a lot of terrible offenses. dude was still able to get a 1000 yard season and I assure you those QB are nowhere near the calibre of Cousins. I also love the upside given the price. this is the kind of player who wins you drafts. its like adding a quality starter for the price of almost nothing.
Yep yep yep he was a huge dynasty add for me the last 2 years because he just needed to get out of Chicago which you lay out well
 
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I tabbed him in dynasty earlier this year (not this football year) as somebody to hold and watch because

a) I had some questionable bench players
b) there's a fifth and fourth-year bounce with guys that are stuck in awful situations that get new teams with explosive attacks. They're not necessarily the greatest, but they're pretty good and if they find themselves in a good situation (I was able to get a second for Corey Davis years ago due to this) they can produce.

I almost had Darnell in the game Thursday night. 1QB 2RB 3WR 1TE 1DEF. Aiyuk, Rashee Rice, and Malik Nabers are my top three. Now Rice is hurt and Nabers isn't playing, which is fine, but I wish I had known. Still went with McLaurin, Aiyuk, and Dontayvion Wicks over Mooney.
I got Mooney in my auction but cut him after Week 1 because I had so many injuries at RB and the Atlanta offense looked hapless. He stayed on the wire (10-team league) and I picked him back up this week because I now had so many injuries at WR. I played him because I had to. But going forward I expect to play him most weeks.
 

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