Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Khalil Shakir

Monday, March 16, 7:22 PM

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney had a disappointing second season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2025, but he could be poised to bounce back in 2026 after signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Giants in free agency on Saturday. After four years with the Chicago Bears to begin his NFL career, the 28-year-old pass-catcher looked good in Atlanta in 2024, catching 64 of his 106 targets for 992 yards and a career-best five touchdowns in 16 games played. Mooney's 992 receiving yards were the second-most of his career. It wouldn't last, though, as he played in 15 games in 2025 and finished with a 32-443-1 line before being released. Mooney will essentially be replacing Wan'Dale Robinson in New York in 2026. Robinson had back-to-back 90-plus-catch seasons the last two years. Will Mooney come anywhere near that type of production? Probably not, especially in a new offense run by Matt Nagy, but it doesn't mean that Mooney won't bounce back as a late-round receiver sleeper in PPR formats.