Darnell Mooney injury update: Latest on Falcons WR for Fantasy Football Week 6
Darnell Mooney had perhaps the biggest night of his career in primetime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday night. Fantasy football managers who were lucky enough to start him were able to reap the rewards of their decision.
However, just one week later, managers are left wondering what's going on with Mooney. Here's a look at the wide receiver's status for Week 6.
What happened to Darnell Mooney?
According to the Athletic's Falcons reporter Josh Kendall on Twitter/X, Mooney is dealing with a knee injury. It is unclear where the injury came from. However, digging into the Falcons' injury report, the timing of the injury could have come from two timeframes.
Per the team's injury report, Mooney was listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday in the Week 6 log. However, in Week 5, he wasn't listed on the injury report at all. Either he sustained the injury in the Week 5 explosive performance or he damaged his knee in the first practice following the game.
Managers would hope that the injury happened in the game to allow extra days to heal. That said, with Mooney participating in a limited fashion and the timing coming so early in the week, the odds are decently high that he will play this week. Still, the injury is something to watch for.
Darnell Mooney's Falcons look to prove TNF explosion wasn't fluke
Of course, aside from getting healthy, Darnell Mooney's offense is looking to prove that their Week 5 primetime offensive onslaught was the start of a new normal. In the contest against the Buccaneers, Kirk Cousins threw for 509 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Mooney earned at least 30 points in most leagues, including the athletic play of the game in which he caught a touchdown pass in triple coverage while jumping backward and landing on his back.
Meanwhile, detractors point toward the Buccaneers' defensive history this season as the true reason for the Falcons' offensive surge. This season, the Buccaneers rank 30th in yards allowed per game, and their passing defense ranks 28th in yards allowed per game.
This week offers as good of a reason to believe the Falcons will continue to put up numbers as any with the team facing the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed at least 34 points in their last two games.