Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Darnell Mooney, WR CHI

Bruce Matson

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.

Name: Darnell Mooney

Position: Wide receiver

Pro Team: Chicago Bears

College Team: Tulane Green Wave

Draft Status: Round five, 173rd overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

  • Height: 5’10’’
  • Weight: 176 pounds
  • Hands: 9 5/8’’
  • 40-yard dash: 4.38 seconds
  • Vertical jump: 37’’
  • Broad jump: 124’’
  • Bench press: Nine reps

STRENGTHS

  • His short-area quickness allows him to easily create separation from defenders
  • Runs routes with urgency
  • Can quickly eat cushion between him and the defensive back when releasing off the line of scrimmage
  • Has elite-level ball tracking skills.
  • Will easily out-leap defender at the catch-point
  • His sticky hands allow him to make highlight-reel catches look routine
  • More than enough speed to push the defense and stretch the field

WEAKNESSES

  • Can get derailed from his route when facing press coverage
  • Lacks the ideal size to be a prototypical alpha wide receiver
  • Concentration drops could develop into an issue
  • Almost zero special teams experience

OPPORTUNITIES

Mooney will compete to be the team’s main deep threat as early as his rookie season. 35-year-old veteran Ted Ginn is pegged as the deep ball specialist for this season but is set to hit free agency at the end of the year. Mooney could step in and take over as the team’s field stretcher.

Cordarrelle Patterson is also set to hit free agency at the end of the year which could free up some additional snaps. Patterson isn’t considered an all-world talent, but he’s still a gatekeeper on the roster. After Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, there’s a lot of ambiguity at the wide receiver position. The uncertainty at the back half of the roster will create added opportunities for a highly athletic playmaker.

Speaking of Robinson, he’s scheduled to hit free agency in 2021. If the Bears let him hit the market, then a large portion of the pie will be available for the rest of the receivers on the roster. If Mooney proves himself during his rookie season, then he could be set for a major value boost next year.

THREATS

When healthy, Robinson is the superstar of the offense. He finished the 2019 season owning a 27 percent target share and a 38 percent share of the air yards. With Miller also stealing a large portion of the workload, it’s going to be hard for a third option to emerge as a fantasy-relevant asset out of Chicago’s wide receiver corps.

The biggest concern with the offense is the problems the Bears have at quarterback. We aren’t exactly debating LeBron versus Jordan when discussing Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. Bad quarterback play is going to hurt the offense’s ability to sustain drives, hindering the fantasy value to some of the Bears’ skilled players. The ancillary role players, like Mooney, won’t get the opportunity to see the added volume to become fantasy-relevant.

If Foles or Trubisky can’t get the job done, then the team will look to either free agency or draft for another quarterback. There could be some growing pains while the team tries to figure out who should be their long-term signal-caller.

The fact that Robinson is set to hit free agency at the end of the year should present a lot of promise for the rest of the wide receivers on the roster. However, with the team needing to add some gusto at quarterback, the Bears are highly likely to add more talent at wide receiver to make the transition as smooth as possible for their new quarterback.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

We are going to see him used on a limited basis during his rookie season. He will need one or two of the wide receivers listed in front of him on the depth chart to miss some time for him to see enough playing time to sniff being a functional fantasy asset.

Mooney might pick up some steam during the tail end of his rookie season. His elite-level speed and ball skills will allow him to flash his talent. If he can string together a couple of big games, then we could see him elevate his dynasty stocking going into the 2021 season.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

There are a lot of variables that could affect his long-term player outlook. How he plays during the first couple of seasons of his career will be detrimental to his stock. He will be out of the league if he is unable to work his way up the depth chart.

On the contrary, there’s a lot of ambiguity in the Bears’ offense. We should see some major changes throughout the depth chart within the next couple of years. If he plays well, then we could see him carve a feature role in the offense. His ability to make plays downfield will make him a trendy option in fantasy. His playstyle would command a lot of downfield targets. At best he will deliver volatile fantasy production. Anything more than that is just the cherry on top.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

John Brown comes to mind whenever I watch Mooney play. Both players have the speed to stretch the field. Their ball skills are very comparable. They both can easily track the ball while it’s still in the air, allowing them to convert highlight-reel catches downfield. Both players were small school prospects with the odds stacked against them during their introduction to the league.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

According to DLF’s Rookie ADP, Mooney is falling to the backend of the fourth round with a 48.70 ADP. As the 28th wide receiver off the board in a very deep draft class, he’s virtually free in rookie drafts. There’s no risk in acquiring him, meaning you aren’t out much if he busts. There’s no sunk cost preventing you from dropping him for the next trendy waiver-wire option of the week.

His athleticism presents enough upside to make him worth the draft pick. If given the opportunity, he could develop into an out-of-nowhere breakout candidate. Honestly, you could do a lot worse with a fourth-round rookie pick. At least we can paint a picture of how he could be successful at the NFL level.

I personally like Mooney as a prospect. His draft capital and landing spot makes it hard to go all-in on him. However, his bargain-bin price point makes him an easy addition to your roster. I consider him a no-loss gamble with a lot of upside.

bruce matson