Should I Pick Up Jahan Dotson or Darnell Mooney? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 2

September 16, 2024

Should I pickup Jahan Dotson or Darnell Mooney as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 2 of 2024? John breaks down their fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.

With Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown now declared "Out" for Monday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons, Brown managers may be looking to add a receiver who will play in the Falcons-Eagles game to replace Brown.

While Brown is an elite receiver and his production cannot be fully replaced, other receivers will play on Monday that can give a glimmer of hope to managers looking to recoup at least some of the points that Brown could have scored.

Two of those receivers are Eagles receiver Jahan Dotson and Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney. Which one should you pick up? Let's dive in.

Jahan Dotson Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

Dotson is owned in just 19% of leagues, and while he's not had a great career so far, the opportunity for him to contribute is never greater than now. He's in a better offense with a better QB (Jalen Hurts) and offensive coordinator (Kellen Moore) than he's ever had before. And he does have some juice.

Jahan Dotson being traded to the Eagles (what a move!!) reminds me that this touchdown almost killed me 😂 pic.twitter.com/TSHwRi3tbu

— Life of a Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) August 22, 2024

If Dotson was mostly held back by the Commanders' odd offensive schemes and lack of quarterback talent, he could be a nice contributor, especially with A.J. Brown not in the mix. Dotson becomes the likely No. 2 receiver behind DeVonta Smith, and Hurts usually has enough passing volume to support two fantasy-relevant receivers.

It's risky to start Dotson, but Brown managers can't expect an ideal situation. He is third on the depth chart and rookie receiver Johnny Wilson is likely to have mostly a blocking role. There won't be much target competition from other receivers.

Having Johnny Wilson out there as a blocker is so unfair 😂 #Eagles pic.twitter.com/6rXNHFjQJI

— Jake Friel (@Jake_FrieI) September 12, 2024

Darnell Mooney Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

While Mooney was considered to be a sleeper candidate for fantasy football in 2024 due to the arrival of Kirk Cousins in Atlanta and the lack of a clear No. 2 receiver for the Falcons, that wasn't the case in Week 1. He had just one catch for 15 yards on three targets. He wasn't a clear part of the gameplan.

He and fellow wide receiver Drake London, the presumptive No. 1 receiver, were outshined in the passing game by both Bijan Robinson and Ray-Ray McCloud. McCloud was the team's leading target earner, with seven targets. McCloud converted those to 52 yards.

it's the ray-ray mccloud show today pic.twitter.com/JulNqOTbPW

— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) September 8, 2024

McCloud clearly outperformed Mooney, and Mooney's level of talent doesn't make that egregious. McCloud at best presents significant competition and at worst makes Mooney largely irrelevant if this trend continues. The chemistry between Cousins and McCloud will likely grow over time.

Should I Pick Up Jahan Dotson or Darnell Mooney For Fantasy Football?

With Mooney seemingly behind London, Robinson, and McCloud in the pecking order, and tied with TE Kyle Pitts for targets in the Falcons' Week 1 game, it doesn't make much sense to even roster him, much less consider putting him in your starting lineup. Dotson is the clear choice here.

There isn't much of an obvious talent gap between Mooney and Dotson, and Dotson seems to clearly have more opportunities to earn targets, so Dotson is the clear choice.

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