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Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney had a big season in 2021 before suffering a major injury in 2022, but he'll be a name to watch in fantasy football since the Bears' offense could be poised for a big leap in Justin Fields' third NFL season.
Mooney will have new target competition after the team added DJ Moore and Tyler Scott, but he should be a clear starter in the young group of skill players.
Is Mooney healthy or injured and what is his 2023 fantasy football outlook? Let's get into it.
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Darnell Mooney Injury Update For Fantasy Football
Mooney (ankle) reported he expects to be ready for the start of the 2023 campaign. I am running, I’m cutting, started cutting today,” Mooney said. “I’ll be 100 percent. I’ve got screws in my foot, so I’ll be a little robotic. Probably 1,000 times better than I was.”
Obviously, we've heard plenty of players claim they'll be ready to go when Week 1 rolls around and were far from ready when the season actually began, but Mooney's comments are promising and a reason for optimism.
The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2021, amassing 81 catches for 1,055 yards and five total touchdowns, but took a step backward last season -- catching just 40 passes for 493 yards and two scores in 12 games. Then, he broke his fibula and had tightrope surgery to repair it.
Darnell Mooney 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
While Mooney is an exciting deep-play threat, it's tough to find a path for him to command real volume in 2023. The Bears are expected to have a more pass-happy attack than in previous seasons, but they will likely still be one of the lowest pass-rate teams in the NFL.
With DJ Moore in town, Mooney's ceiling is the No. 2 target and since it could take him time to fully come back from the fractured fibula, he could get out to a slow start.
Ultimately. Mooney will likely be a much better Best Ball fantasy asset than a traditional league asset. He can produce spike weeks with big-play touchdowns, but there's a low chance he's a "set 'em and forget 'em starter" in regular formats. That said, he could be worth taking a flyer on at his WR55 pricetag in early Best Ball drafts (Underdog ADP). If the offense does take a big leap forward and becomes a respectable passing attack, a top-36 wide receiver season is in his range of outcomes.
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