Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Quentin Johnston

Friday, December 20, 10:30 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney picked a terrible time to have his worst outing of the season, recording zero catches on one target against a depleted Raiders defense. The 27-year-old posted a one-catch performance back in Week 1, but averaged almost five catches per contest from Week 2-14. Now, with confidence shaken combined with a rookie quarterback making his first start, fantasy managers who survived Week 15's debacle must decide whether or not to use Mooney in Week 16. The lack of success last week should probably be attributed to Kirk Cousins more than Mooney, however. Still, even though the Falcons are nine-point favorites on Sunday versus the Giants, Atlanta is likely to deploy a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier against a defense that has yielded the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs on the season. If the Falcons do need to ask Michael Penix Jr. to throw, then the receivers should see some success, as New York allows the third-highest completion rate to QBs and has only intercepted a pass twice on the entire year. All that being said, Mooney looks like a shaky WR3 in the fantasy playoffs this Sunday.

Friday, December 20, 12:37 AM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston played an insignificant role in a Thursday Night Football win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16. Johnston tied for the team lead with six targets but made just three catches for a total of 18 yards. The biggest play of the game for Johnston was a dropped pass when he was absolutely wide open and given a perfect pass from his quarterback Justin Herbert. The same drop issues that plagued him throughout his rookie year clearly remain this season despite marked improvement in his overall game. He'll look to bounce back rather than have the ball bounce off his hands in Week 17 against the New England Patriots.