Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Josh Downs

Monday, November 17, 11:21 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney almost had the second 1,000-yard season of his career in 2024 with the Falcons, but this year has been an entirely different story. In eight games played, Mooney has only 16 receptions on 42 targets for 224 yards and no touchdowns. The 28-year-old former fifth-round pick has had four one-catch games and just has not been trustworthy for fantasy purposes. However, Mooney is now on the waiver-wire radar going into a Week 12 divisional contest against the New Orleans Saints after teammate Drake London (knee) sprained his PCL in Sunday's overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. Mooney also injured his ribs in that game, but he was able to return after halftime and finished with three catches on four targets for 34 yards. Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues, Mooney might now become a more attractive flex play for however long London is out. The catch is that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is now taking over the offense with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) likely done for the year.

Saturday, November 15, 12:41 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs saw a massive reduction in snaps and targets during his last game against the Atlanta Falcons. In Berlin, Downs played a mere 43 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps, converting two targets into one catch for three yards. The 24-year-old impressed as the WR35 in PPR leagues last season, but he has taken a step backward this year. He ranks outside the top 40 receivers and can no longer be trusted on a week-to-week basis. One reason for Downs' struggles is the increased competition around him. Indy is leaning on the run more than usual given Jonathan Taylor's success, and they've also gotten exceptional contributions from Tyler Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce. This has left Downs as somewhat of the odd man out. We do expect him to command more than two targets per game going forward, but he's not startable for the time being. Managers should leave Downs on the bench when the Colts return from their bye in Week 12.