Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Luther Burden III

Tuesday, August 26, 7:21 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) has avoided landing on Injured Reserve to start the 2025 season, even though he has not practiced since the first day of training camp in late July, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. It means that the Falcons think Mooney could be available within the team's first four games of the season in September. Still, the 27-year-old can probably be considered more of a long shot to suit up in Week 1 against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 7. When healthy, Mooney could serve as the team's No. 2 wideout behind Drake London in starting three-wide sets, although the uncertainty surrounding his injury makes him no better than a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts as a WR4/5. In his first year in Atlanta in 2024, Mooney bounced back in a big way with a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets over 16 starts.

Sunday, August 17, 11:42 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III hauled in all three targets, gaining 49 yards in Sunday's 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills. The rookie wide receiver caught his three passes from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and took most of his snaps with the second-team offense. The second-round pick has performed well this preseason as both a receiver and a blocker, but has yet to garner significant playing time with the first-team offense. However, keeping Burden off the field might be difficult if he keeps stacking stellar performances like his one on Sunday. The next time we can see Burden in action is next Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.