Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Ricky Pearsall

Saturday, August 24, 10:28 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney impressed during training camp and is the team's clear WR2 heading into the 2024 season. Matt Urben of Falcons Wire said that Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts "continued to make plays as they have throughout training camp" during the final scrimmage at Wednesday's open practice. The fifth-year wideout did not get a lick of preseason action yet finds himself as the clear-cut second option in the Falcons' wide receiver corps. He'll still have Bijan Robinson and Drake London to vie against for targets, as well as Pitts. However, Mooney holds a bit of appeal despite potentially being the fourth option in his offense. A fully healthy Kirk Cousins will be a big boost to the entire unit, and Mooney is far and away the cheapest option of this group in fantasy drafts. He's Yahoo!'s WR70 in ADP and a strong target in best ball drafts.

Thursday, September 5, 10:22 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest, shoulder) will take it easy for around a week to avoid working up a sweat but will begin his rehab after that. Pearsall was shot in the chest last Saturday during a robbery attempt but was released from the hospital the following day and has made remarkable progress already. The Niners put him on the Non-Football Injury list, so the 23-year-old will be forced to miss at least the first four weeks of his first year in the NFL. In addition to recovering from a gunshot wound to his chest, Pearsall was also rehabbing a shoulder injury that limited him in training camp and the preseason. It remains to be seen when Pearsall can join San Fran's offense, but right now, he's merely a stash in dynasty/keeper fantasy leagues. Pearsall's injuries have opened the door for a bigger role for Jauan Jennings as the WR3.