Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Calvin Austin III
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 24.9 | 0.1 |
Darnell Mooney News
Sunday, August 9, 8:12 AM
The New York Giants need at least one more wide receiver to step up this year, even if Malik Nabers (knee) is ready for the start of the regular season, and Alex House of Sports Illustrated writes that it could be veteran Darnell Mooney. The 28-year-old never was able to get on track in 2025 in his second year with the Atlanta Falcons after he suffered a shoulder injury in training camp, and he finished with a 32-443-1 line in 15 starts after catching 64 passes for 992 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 16 games in 2024. The speedster could become a fine downfield threat for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart in 2026, and he already has a built-in rapport with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy from their time together in Chicago, where Mooney had his lone 1,000-yard season in 2021. Mooney has a 12.3 average depth of target in his career and can be effective on intermediate throws. House believes that if Mooney can get on the same page with Dart, he'll have a chance to become the Giants' second-leading target behind Nabers. The biggest obstacle for Mooney achieving that will be new tight end Isaiah Likely, who has been one of Dart's favorite targets in training camp. Mooney is currently ranked as the No. 85 fantasy WR at RotoBaller, making him worth considering as a late-round flier in deeper fantasy leagues.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 12.1 | 0.1 |
Calvin Austin III News
Friday, August 7, 8:11 AM
The Athletic's Dan Duggan writes that although New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III's strong spring hasn't carried over to the start of training camp this summer, he's "still the team's top slot option." With that said, the slot role in New York isn't expected to be featured as much in new head coach John Harbaugh's offense as it was when Wan'Dale Robinson was racking up targets at will the last two seasons. Austin is going to have a role, sponging up the short targets in the passing game that Robinson once received. The 27-year-old, who stands at just 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, failed to take advantage of extra opportunities with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, with just 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games played in his third year in the NFL. Austin could have more of a role early on with the Giants this year if Malik Nabers (knee) isn't all the way back from his torn ACL, but every week, Austin's role in the offense is unlikely to yield enough targets to make him a worthy target in fantasy drafts in 12-team leagues.
Darnell Mooney vs. Calvin Austin III
Still trying to decide between Mooney and Austin III? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darnell Mooney is projected to score 5.2 points this week while Calvin Austin III is projected to score 2.7 points.
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