Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Khalil Shakir

Thursday, September 18, 5:09 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) was a full participant in Thursday's practice after he was listed as limited on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. Mooney's shoulder injury kept him from playing in the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was able to play in last week's win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night while playing a healthy 86 percent of the offensive snaps. The 27-year-old was targeted only four times, though, and caught two passes for 20 yards. The Falcons' offense didn't have to open up the passing attack in an easy win over Minnesota, so none of their pass-catchers had a good day. Mooney should be available in a Week 3 divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers in another game in which he might not see much work. Fantasy managers should consider Mooney a low-upside WR4/flex in his second game of the year.

Wednesday, September 17, 1:36 PM

The Buffalo Bills relied more on the run than the pass in a Week 2 win over the New York Jets, which didn't do wide receiver Khalil Shakir any favors. Shakir had tallied six or more targets in 14 straight games entering last Sunday, but that streak ended against the Jets. After catching one of two targets for 12 yards, he'll look to bounce back against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday. Historically, Shakir has logged unspectacular numbers versus division-rival Miami, which has limited him to 20 catches, 260 yards, and no touchdowns in six career meetings. The 6-foot, 190-pounder caught 11 of 12 targets for 104 yards in two games against the Dolphins last year. That aligned with Shakir's season-long output during a 76-catch, 821-yard showing in 2024, and it's the type of respectable production fantasy managers should expect in Week 3.