Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Ja'Lynn Polk

Friday, October 4, 12:50 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney caught nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns during Thursday's overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was Kirk Cousins' most-targeted teammate as the quarterback attempted 58 passes for a franchise-record 509 yards through the air. Mooney delivered one of the best fantasy performances of his career, and he would've added even more points had he been able to catch a fourth-quarter pass that ultimately went through his hands and hit his chest. The 26-year-old seems to be enjoying a resurgence after leaving the Chicago Bears in free agency. Over his last four contests as a Falcon, Mooney is averaging 18.4 fantasy points per game. He ranks as an appealing WR3/FLEX for Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers.

Sunday, September 29, 8:56 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk converted seven targets into three catches for 30 yards during Sunday's Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Polk had not commanded more than three targets in a single game through the first three weeks of the season, but that evidently changed this week as Polk led the Patriots with seven passes thrown his way. Despite the increased volume, Polk still didn't deliver a very appealing fantasy performance due to his lower catch and yardage totals. On a promising note, he made an impressive grab in heavy coverage along the sideline. It was ruled incomplete, but only because Polk just barely missed getting both feet in bounds. The play should give fantasy managers optimism that Polk can make flashy catches against starting cornerbacks in the NFL. The rookie isn't a reliable option for Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, but his long-term value continues to grow as he makes an impression early in his Patriots career.