Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Zachariah Branch

Monday, June 29, 5:37 AM

Veteran wide receiver Darnell Mooney signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants in the opening days of free agency in what was one of the earliest of several moves made to shore up the position. After a record-breaking rookie season, 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers suffered a complicated knee injury in Week 4 of the 2025 season, and his difficult recovery has still left question marks about his availability to begin the year. With the team's leading receiver from 2025, Wan'Dale Robinson, departing in free agency, the Giants also added Calvin Austin III and followed up those early signings by spending a third-round pick on Notre Dame's Malachi Fields and since bringing in veterans Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios. Given his history with new Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Mooney could still be the most likely to emerge from the pack and see the largest role, both with and without Nabers on the field. His lone 1,000-yard campaign came with Nagy calling plays in Chicago, and if he can stay healthy in 2026, something he was unable to do in his final season with the Falcons, Mooney could make an impact early in the year and hold a fantasy-relevant outside role even after Nabers' eventual return.