Darnell Mooney ‘leads’ team with 48 yards in loss

Mooney should be good to go this week, but he does not need to be on fantasy football rosters. Giants TE Theo Johnson (neck) was limited.

Fields saw a season-high eight targets, but caught just two of those passes for 19 yards. The Giants passing game behind Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely isn’t productive for fantasy purposes. Darnell Mooney had a carry for 20 yards while Charlie Jones caught 2-of-3 passes for 66 yards. Fields is the best option past Nabers and Likely, but he can be left on fantasy benches for Week 7 against the Texans.

Mooney turned seven targets into 14 yards last week and does not need to be trusted to do better this week.

Mooney’s participation puts him on track to face the Saints in Week 6. He does not need to be in 12-team lineups, and his presence, unfortunately, keeps Malachi Fields from potentially playing in a full-time role.

He still has multiple practices left to improve his status. If Mooney were to miss time, Malachi Fields, who is tied with him for third on the team in targets, could see his role expand, though target volume could be limited behind Isaiah Likely and Malik Nabers.

Mooney has exactly two catches in each of his first three games as a Giant. He has hit on a few chunk plays in New York but isn’t seeing enough targets to be a weekly fantasy option. He is not on the FLEX radar for Week 4.

The rookie wide receiver showcased a polished all-around skillset, reinforcing offseason reports that he had locked down the WR2 role opposite Malik Nabers. His 6'4, 220-pound frame was on full display as he was continually utilized as both a down-blocker and blocker in the second level on runs, something that should allow him to continue to operate as the clear-cut WR2 for the Giants throughout his rookie campaign. That said, the box scores highlights the obvious distinction that his snap rate — he led all Giants wideouts with 50 — won’t always translate to fantasy production while playing alongside Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely, the latter two of whom commanded 17 targets on 29 Jaxson Dart pass attempts. The good news is that he played well ahead of veterans Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr., with Mooney having 39 snaps and Beckham just 11. Fantasy managers are best off viewing Fields as a high-end stash at the end of benches for the time being.

This is not much of an endorsement. With Giants WR Malik Nabers (knee) and WR Darius Slayton (core muscle) sidelined by recent surgeries, Mooney and Austin are reportedly earning targets behind TE Isaiah Likely and TE Theo Johnson at organized team activities. Mooney ($10 million) and Austin ($4.5 million) signed one-year deals with the Giants in free agency. Nothing Stapleton “saw today would indicate that there’s no room” for free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. in this wide receiver group. Avoiding the Giants’ healthy wide receivers in spring drafts is a prudent call.

This one is a bit head-scratching. Mooney’s skillset seems to carry significant overlap with returning veteran Darius Slayton, the latter of whom recently signed a new three-year deal that ties him to the franchise through 2027. Mooney did play from the slot at a 41% frequency a season ago and the team saw Wan’Dale Robinson walk in free agency, although Mooney will have to compete with veteran holdover Isaiah Hodgins and recent signee Calvin Austin for snaps inside, if that is the vision from the team. The size of the contract seems to indicate he will have a legitimate role in the offense in 2026.

Ian Rapoport was first on the news, which will be made official before the new league year next week. Atlanta saves $7.4 million in cap space with his release. Mooney looked like a steal one year into his three-year, $39 million contract. He went for 992 yards and five scores in 2024. The wheels then fell off in 2025 and he managed just 443 yards and one score on 32 grabs. Mooney dealt with several injuries, but his drops and overall inconsistent play were too much for Atlanta to keep him around this year. He should still have several suitors in free agency.