Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Darnell Mooney

Friday, September 26, 4:50 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen should be kept out of starting lineups when his team takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Ireland. Now that receiver Jordan Addison (suspension) is back in the fold, Thielen is likely to see a significant decrease in snaps. Even with high snap rates in the first three weeks, Thielen caught a meager two passes. At this point, it's fair to wonder if he'll earn more snaps or targets than fellow receiver Jalen Nailor, to say nothing of Addison, top receiver Justin Jefferson, and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Given his lack of production and his situation on the depth chart, Thielen can be sent to waiver wires in standard redraft leagues.

Sunday, November 23, 9:26 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney will jump to the top of the depth chart after teammate Drake London (knee) was ruled out for Sunday's Week 12 contest against the New Orleans Saints. Even as the de facto No. 1 receiver, Mooney's productivity isn't guaranteed. In the other game that London missed earlier this season, Mooney caught just one of four targets for 11 yards. With that said, there's optimism that this week's increased workload will lead to better results. After all, he's already trending up with 15 targets over his last two games. Plus, he gets a softer matchup against the Saints, who rank near the middle of the league in fantasy points and have allowed the eighth-most touchdowns to opposing receivers in 2025. This week, Mooney will be catching passes from Kirk Cousins, since Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is on injured reserve. The veteran receiver's game was elevated with Cousins under center last year, as the veteran signal-caller was responsible for most of Mooney's volume and yardage during his 64-catch, 992-yard campaign in 2024. Managers should feel comfortable starting the 28-year-old as a WR3/flex this week. He ranks as the overall WR26 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy rankings for Week 12.