Should I Drop Darnell Mooney? Fantasy Football Outlook

Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney had an up-and-down 2022 season. The third-year receiver was coming off an excellent year in 2021.

He had 81 receptions on 140 targets for 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The former first-round pick finished the year as the WR24, averaging 10.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.

However, Mooney had a disappointing 2022 season, as Chicago’s passing attack was inconsistent.

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Should I Drop Darnell Mooney?

Over the first five games this year, the third-year player averaged only 4.2 targets and 4.5 fantasy points per game. However, things started to turn around. Mooney averaged 7.8 targets and 10.2 fantasy points per game over the next four contests.

Unfortunately, the former Tulane star suffered an ankle injury in Week 12 against the New York Jets, ending his season. Mooney is droppable in all redraft leagues.

What Wide Receiver Should I Add For Week 15?

With Mooney done for the year, the new No. 1 wide receiver in Chicago is Chase Claypool. However, the former Notre Dame star has struggled since joining the Bears, averaging only 3.1 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he has scored fewer than 3.5 fantasy points in four of those contests.

Fantasy players that need a startable wide receiver this week should target Alec Pierce off the waiver wire. The former Cincinnati Bearcat is rostered in only 10.7% of ESPN leagues.

The Indianapolis Colts receiver has flashed star potential as a rookie. More importantly, he has earned Matt Ryan’s trust to make plays downfield. Pierce made a couple of impressive catches in his last game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Furthermore, Piece has seen eight targets in two of the past three contests, including two weeks ago against Dallas. In those two contests, the rookie has averaged 3.5 receptions, 57 receiving yards, and 10.5 fantasy points per game.

In Week 15, Pierce faces the Minnesota Vikings. While they sit atop the NFC North division, their defense has been awful this year. They have surrendered 34.1 fantasy points per game to wide receivers, the second-most in the NFL. Last week, they gave up over 270 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and 55.9 fantasy points to the Detroit Lions wide receivers.

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