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Darnell Mooney – Atlanta #2 could thrive with Cousins

Theo

As always, there are certain guys. Fantasy Index appears to be higher and lower than the general consensus. We often talk about the greatest (Zay Flowers is one I talked about yesterday). Here’s a smaller one, it seems: Darnell Mooney.

In the best ball draft that I talked about yesterday, we reached the end of the 13th round. There were 64 wide receivers drafted. Also on the board (but I’m picking him as we speak) is our 42nd pick in PPR leagues, Mooney.

Mooney has been pretty quiet in Chicago the last two years, with just 40 and 31 catches. There’s nothing to get excited about. But this was a Justin Fields-led passing attack that ranked 32nd and 27th over the past two seasons. The year before (and it was also a bottom-ranked passing attack), Mooney caught 81 passes for 1,055 yards. He showed he can play and he’s in a much better situation this year.

Days after signing Kirk Cousins, the Falcons gave Mooney a 3-year, $39 million contract in free agency, including $26 million fully guaranteed. He will be their number 2 this season against Drake London. And Cousins’ No. 2 wideouts over the years have tended to do pretty well.

The table shows the top 2 players in Cousins’ nine years as starting quarterback (three with Washington, six with Minnesota), with the last column showing their rankings in PPR leagues. Different teams, offenses and players, but two-thirds of those No. 2 players (6 of 9) ranked at least in the top 35, and two of them in the top 10. Drake London is selected at second and third rounds. of drafts. If he wants to get that kind of boost from Cousins, I think his #2 should be selected a little earlier than WR65.

COUSINS’ TOP 2 WIDE RECEIVERS, 2015-2023
Year Player Target Save Yds Avg. T.D. R.K.
2015 Pierre Garcon 111 72 777 10.8 6 31
2015 Jamison Crowder 78 59 604 10.2 2 51
2016 Pierre Garcon 114 79 1041 13.2 3 24
2016 Jamison Crowder 99 67 847 12.6 8 25
2017 Jamison Crowder 103 66 789 12.0 3 32
2017 Ryan Grant 65 45 573 12.7 4 54
2018 Adam Thielen 153 113 1373 12.2 9 7
2018 Steve Diggs 149 102 1021 10.0 9 ten
2019 Steve Diggs 94 63 11:30 a.m. 17.9 6 21
2019 Adam Thielen 48 30 418 13.9 7 65
2020 Justin Jefferson 125 88 1400 15.9 7 6
2020 Adam Thielen 108 74 925 12.5 14 ten
2021 Justin Jefferson 167 108 1616 15.0 ten 4
2021 Adam Thielen 95 67 726 10.8 ten 28
2022 Justin Jefferson 184 128 1809 14.1 9 1
2022 Adam Thielen 107 70 716 10.2 6 31
2023 Jordan Addison 108 70 911 13.0 ten 23
2023 Justin Jefferson 100 68 1074 15.8 5 32

The Falcons also added Rondale Moore, and maybe they’ll throw balls to Kyle Pitts and their running backs as well. But given what Mooney has done in the past, the size of his contract and his situation in an Atlanta offense that should pass the ball better than last year (and better than Chicago in any Mooney season), there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be a viable starter in fantasy leagues. And as a 13th round pick, it’s pretty attractive.

–Andy Richardson

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