Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Jaylen Waddle

Wednesday, December 10, 5:32 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney was limited to just one catch on four targets for six yards this past week, his fifth one-catch performance of the season in 11 games played. The 28-year-old has had an opportunity to become the team's top receiver with Drake London (knee) missing the last three weeks due to injury, however, that role appears to have been occupied by tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. The 5-foot-11 wideout played on just 77 percent of the team's offensive snaps in Week 14, while David Sills V logged 94 percent and the aforementioned Pitts totaled 92 percent. The veteran will have another chance to carve out an expanded role in Week 15 versus the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, with London ruled out again and against a pass defense that is middle of the road in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers, but a unit that has yielded the sixth-most yards in the NFL through the air this season. For what it's worth, Mooney had a touchdown reception overturned last week because he stepped on the sideline before securing the pass, which could have been his second touchdown in the last three games despite the limited volume. Still, considering the situation at quarterback and Mooney's inability to garner sufficient targets, he falls outside the WR3 range this week, making him more of a boom/bust Flex play on TNF.

Saturday, December 13, 6:08 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will try to help the Dolphins secure their fifth straight win this Monday when they visit the Steelers. While the Dolphins have had a very low-volume passing attack in recent weeks, Waddle has remained a solid starting option in most formats because he is clearly the top option in the offense. Waddle has at least three catches and at least six targets in six straight games with three touchdowns and an average of 67.8 yards per game during that span. He had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown last week against the Jets, and he will be in a solid matchup against the Steelers, who rank in the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to receivers this season. The Steelers have allowed 12 receiver touchdowns in 13 games, so Waddle has good potential for another productive week if he continues to get so many targets. In RotoBaller's Week 15 rankings, Waddle is the No. 11 WR, making him a low-end WR1 or a high-end WR2 in standard-sized leagues. He should be started in almost all formats since his production has been so reliably consistent.