Falcons Wide Receiver Named a Fantasy Football Sleeper Pick

The Atlanta Falcons' No. 2 pass catcher is being predicted to take a leap forward as he gaines a quarterback with a good deep ball

Mooney is predicted to be in for a good year | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, PFF’s Nathan Jahnke released his list of five sleeper wide receivers for fantasy football in 2025. Atlanta Falcons’ Darnell Mooney headlined the list of picks.

“After a strong start and rough finish with the Chicago Bears, Mooney revitalized his career as the Falcons’ second receiving option last season,” Jahnke wrote. 

Mooney recorded 992 yards and five touchdowns last season. His 2025 season outproduced both his 2023 and 2024 seasons combined, in which he amassed just 908 total yards and three total touchdowns. 

The biggest change for Mooney comes from building further chemistry with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The two only played together in one game, where Mooney was completely healthy. The Falcons receiver injured his shoulder against the Commanders in the Week 17 matchup. 

Mooney thrives as a deep threat receiver, making Penix the perfect guy for him. 

“Penix threw deep and was accurate on such throws at much higher rates than the league average. Mooney caught 14 passes on deep attempts last season, the third most in the NFL. He could lead the league in deep targets if he gains more chemistry with Penix,” Jahnke wrote.

It is also important to note that quarterbacks targeting Mooney deep (passes traveling 20 or more air yards) had a 118.6 passer rating, the fifth-highest mark in the NFL on such throws. 

Mooney’s production and fantasy relevance will rely heavily on how good Michael Penix Jr is in 2025.

“Mooney was a borderline WR3 last season and could be a weekly fantasy starter if Penix continues to develop into a solid NFL quarterback. If not, Mooney will just be a fantasy backup who can fill in due to injuries or bye weeks,” Jahnke said.