Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Emeka Egbuka

Thursday, August 28, 1:23 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is at practice and in uniform on Thursday for the first time since July 24, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Mooney injured his shoulder on the first day of training camp and is just now returning. Although it's unclear if the 27-year-old will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was able to avoid landing on short-term Injured Reserve, which would have kept him out for the first four games of the year. Expect Atlanta to begin ramping Mooney back up in advance of next week's season opener. In his first year with the Falcons in 2024, Mooney had one of the best years of his career, posting a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets over 16 starts. It might be a stretch for him to duplicate those numbers in 2025, but he's at least worth a late-round flier for receiving depth in fantasy drafts.

Thursday, August 28, 4:38 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka could be in store for a massive role in the passing attack early in the season. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay veteran wideout Chris Godwin (ankle) is not expected to return to action until October. In addition, second-year wideout Jalen McMillan (neck) is slated to miss the vast majority of the season. As a result, Egbuka could slot in as the clear No. 2 option opposite Mike Evans for the better part of his debut season. The Buccaneers selected Egbuka out of Ohio State in the opening round of this year's draft. Egbuka finished his time at Ohio State, totalling 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final campaign. Given Tampa Bay's current wide receiver room, Egbuka's ADP will continue to climb as the regular season approaches. He should hold WR2 value with upside during their Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.