Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Malik Nabers

Tuesday, December 23, 4:02 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney continued to be an afterthought in the Atlanta offense, drawing just two targets in Sunday's 26-19 win over the Cardinals. The 28-year-old converted both targets into receptions for 24 yards, but is firmly behind Drake London (knee), Kyle Pitts Sr., and Bijan Robinson in the receiving pecking order, giving him little fantasy relevance. Even when London was absent the last four weeks, he failed to carve out a consistent role, with David Sills V finding more success than the 5-foot-11 receiver in those contests. The veteran wideout does have a favorable matchup in Week 17 against a Rams defense that is bottom 10 in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers, so he could be a deep league dart throw for managers desperate enough to need his services, but it is probably a situation to avoid if possible.

Tuesday, October 28, 5:23 PM

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) had surgery on Tuesday to fix the torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, and he "should be ready" for the start of next season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Nabers suffered his season-ending knee injury in the Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but he just now had surgery after doctors had to wait for the swelling in his knee to dissipate. Barring setbacks with his rehab and recovery in the offseason, the 22-year-old former first-rounder should be good to go for the start of the 2026 season next fall, although fantasy managers might have some reservations about rolling with a receiver coming off a major knee repair as a high-end WR1. Before his injury, though, Nabers had displayed his game-changing abilities with 271 yards and two scores on 18 receptions in four games. His long-term fantasy ceiling should be higher going forward now that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart looks like the real deal.