Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Darnell Mooney

Sunday, October 5, 10:46 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. stayed heavily involved in the team's offense with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) missing a second straight game on Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuel led the team in targets (11), receptions (eight), and receiving yards (96) while catching his third touchdown of the season in the 27-10 victory in Week 5 in quarterback Jayden Daniels' return from a knee sprain. The 29-year-old has had a nice bounce-back season in 2025 so far in his first year in Washington while being the team's most consistent pass-catcher. Through the first five weeks, Samuel has 346 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. As long as he can stay healthy, Samuel should continue to be a must-start in fantasy lineups, even when McLaurin returns from his quad injury. Samuel will have quite a bit of upside in Week 6 on Monday night against the Chicago Bears, especially if McLaurin misses a third game.

Monday, September 29, 9:59 AM

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury Sunday in Atlanta's win. Still, with the bye coming up, he likely doesn't have to miss any games, sources say. Mooney exited Sunday's contest in the third quarter and had just one catch (on one target) for 15 yards. The Falcons have a bye week approaching in Week 5, which allows for an extra week of recovery for Mooney as the Falcons prepare to host the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. If Mooney were to miss any time, Ray-Ray McCloud, Casey Washington, David Sills, and Jamal Agnew would likely step up in Mooney's absence, although none of them should be on fantasy managers' radar at this point. Thus far this season, Mooney has disappointed a bit, with only 79 receiving yards and seven receptions in three games played.