Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Jaylin Noel


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

Darnell Mooney Set for Both Outside and Slot Usage

Saturday, July 25, 7:20 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney will be "hugely important as a reliable receiver on the outside and in the slot," according to John Schmeelk of Giants.com. Mooney is entering his first season in New York after an underwhelming 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he recorded 32 catches for 443 yards and one touchdown across 15 games. However, Mooney was far more productive in 2024, recording 992 receiving yards and five scores across 16 games for Atlanta. The Giants also offer a clear pathway to regular playing time. Star Giants WR1 Malik Nabers' (knee) health status for the start of the season is unknown, leaving Mooney to battle with Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Malachi Fields, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr., and Braxton Berrios for wide receiver reps in New York. While Mooney could easily get lost in the shuffle, he could just as easily emerge as the Giants' most reliable pass-catcher, at least until Nabers is healthy.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.3 1.5 0.0 1.6 19.0 0.1

Jaylin Noel News

Texans Actively Looking to Involve Jaylin Noel on Offense

Friday, August 7, 8:44 AM

Now that Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel (finger) has come off the Non-Football Injury list at training camp, head coach DeMeco Ryans said the Texans are actively looking for ways to "get him the ball on offense multiple times a game," according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. The 23-year-old former third-rounder from Iowa State wasn't as productive as teammate Jayden Higgins as a rookie, as he caught just 26 passes on 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (three starts). However, Noel should have a bigger role in Year 2 in 2026 as he competes with Tank Dell (knee) and Xavier Hutchinson for the WR3 role behind Higgins and Nico Collins. Losing the first two weeks of training camp didn't help Noel's cause, but he has plenty of time to get more involved going into Week 1 of the regular season. How big Noel's role is in his sophomore season will probably depend on how much Dell can do after suffering a devastating knee injury in 2024 and missing all of last year. Right now, Noel is merely a late-round dart throw in deeper fantasy leagues.


Darnell Mooney vs. Jaylin Noel

Still trying to decide between Mooney and Noel? 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 Jaylin Noel is projected to score 4.3 points.