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Who should I start for Week 16? Fantasy football outlooks for Darnell Mooney, Amari Cooper, Deebo Samuel. Our expert fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks.
There's an interesting (actually, miserable) tier of wide receivers in the league this year that have dropped absolute duds in some weeks. Some more often than others. Still, it makes it much more difficult to stomach starting players in must-win matchups when they've goose-egged you before or had low-scoring single-digit performances.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper, and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. firmly fit into this category. Both Mooney and Cooper scored exactly 0.0 PPR fantasy points in Week 16, and Samuel mustered up a mere 4.9.
We could've had a fun piece if we had included Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp instead of the 49ers man. Then all three of them would be players that scored absolutely nothing last week! Anyway, let's break down the ones we do have here.
Should I Start Darnell Mooney for Fantasy Football?
We say yes, but only because we're high on quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who we believe is a great QB. You can see a detailed breakdown of why in our "Quarterback Matchups to Target in Week 16" DFS piece. Penix is good, though.
Michael Penix is a SPECIAL TALENT.
Will be a SUPERSTAR in the #NFL and should be a top-5 selection
pic.twitter.com/eGgNmJYya0— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 24, 2023
We've seen enough of him dropping absolute dimes and making New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk look like a future star to NFL scouts (Patriots could've had Ladd McConkey... woof). Start Mooney.
Should I Start Amari Cooper for Fantasy Football?
No. He gets way too many snaps and route opportunities siphoned away by the other receivers. He could have a good game, sure, but the donut he fed fantasy managers last week didn't have any sugar in it and was a few years expired. He knocked a ton of them out of the fantasy football playoffs altogether.
STUD: #Bills WR Amari Cooper says it was “AMAZING” to have ZERO TARGETS for the first time in his career.
“Every receiver wants the ball. But I’m in Year 10. What’s most important to me is winning.”
All Coop cares about is winning.
💯💯💯
(Via @TheBuffaloNews) pic.twitter.com/9xwec6Riyp
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 20, 2024
He's not about to demand the ball, either. That's not who he is. He's a great team player for real NFL teams, not your fantasy teams. NFL analyst Nathan Jahnke from Pro Football Focus tracked player usage and found that Coop was fourth on the team in both routes run and offensive snaps. That's really bad.
Should I Start Deebo Samuel for Fantasy Football?
No. After choking a teammate, whining for the ball, whining for the ball some more, complaining about not getting the ball, and being a nuisance to everyone with the displeasure of watching him or hearing him speak, he still played terribly. He's been awful for the past five games as the team has lost more offensive players to injury.
Deebo Samuel today:
• 4 targets
• 1 catch
• 21 yards
• 2 drops pic.twitter.com/nSYhQhqeNl— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) November 25, 2024
The effort simply hasn't been there. Boneheaded drops, lackadaisical route-running, and a bad inability to separate have made him useless for fantasy managers. He can't be trusted right now. And he should be third in target priority after fellow WR Jauan Jennings (better) and tight end George Kittle (also better), who are both better than he is.
It wouldn't surprise us if 9ers head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to stupidly kill drives by calling plays to Samuel that fail over and over again, though. So there's some upside. But we don't trust it.
Popular Week 16 Searches - Start/Sit Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 16 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Darnell Mooney, Amari Cooper, Deebo Samuel compared to others. You can also use the free Who Should I Start tool to run your own start/sit comparisons, up to four players at once:
Jameson Williams or Darnell Mooney
Keenan Allen or Darnell Mooney
Jalen Mcmillan or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Adam Thielen or Darnell Mooney
Calvin Ridley or Darnell Mooney
Jayden Reed or Darnell Mooney
Quentin Johnston or Darnell Mooney
Ladd Mcconkey or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Jalen Mcmillan or Darnell Mooney
Devonta Smith or Amari Cooper
Jayden Reed or Amari Cooper
Jerome Ford or Deebo Samuelsr
Romeo Doubs or Amari Cooper
Devonta Smith or Darnell Mooney
Quentin Johnston or Deebo Samuelsr
Zay Flowers or Amari Cooper
Michael Pittmanjr or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Darnell Mooney
Calvin Ridley or Amari Cooper
Courtland Sutton or Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney or Amari Cooper
Darnell Mooney or Deebo Samuelsr
Dj Moore or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Amari Cooper
Jerome Ford or Darnell Mooney
Jerry Jeudy or Amari Cooper
Najee Harris or Amari Cooper
Quentin Johnston or Amari Cooper
Rome Odunze or Deebo Samuelsr
Xavier Worthy or Deebo Samuelsr
Alexander Mattison or Deebo Samuelsr
Amari Cooper or Deebo Samuelsr
Courtland Sutton or Deebo Samuelsr
Dandre Swift or Darnell Mooney
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Isiah Pacheco or Darnell Mooney
Jalen Mcmillan or Amari Cooper
Jauan Jennings or Amari Cooper
Jayden Reed or Deebo Samuelsr
Jerry Jeudy or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Amari Cooper
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Patrick Taylorjr or Darnell Mooney
Romeo Doubs or Deebo Samuelsr
Tj Hockenson or Darnell Mooney
Tyrone Tracyjr or Darnell Mooney
Alexander Mattison or Darnell Mooney
Amari Cooper or Darnell Mooney
Cedric Tillman or Darnell Mooney
Dandre Swift or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Darnell Mooney
Jameson Williams or Amari Cooper
Jameson Williams or Deebo Samuelsr
Khalil Shakir or Deebo Samuelsr
Ladd Mcconkey or Deebo Samuelsr
Michael Pittmanjr or Amari Cooper
Najee Harris or Amari Cooper
Najee Harris or Darnell Mooney
Tank Dell or Darnell Mooney
Xavier Worthy or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Adam Thielen or Deebo Samuelsr
Brian Robinsonjr or Amari Cooper
Brian Thomasjr or Darnell Mooney
Bucky Irving or Darnell Mooney
Christian Watson or Deebo Samuelsr
Deebo Samuelsr or Amari Cooper
Devonta Smith or Deebo Samuelsr
Elijah Moore or Amari Cooper
Elijah Moore or Darnell Mooney
Garrett Wilson or Deebo Samuelsr
Gus Edwards or Amari Cooper
Isaac Guerendo or Deebo Samuelsr
Jalen Mcmillan or Deebo Samuelsr
Jameson Williams or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Warren or Amari Cooper
Jerome Ford or Amari Cooper
Jonnu Smith or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Josh Downs or Darnell Mooney
Josh Downs or Deebo Samuelsr
Keenan Allen or Darnell Mooney
Khalil Shakir or Darnell Mooney
Najee Harris or Darnell Mooney
Najee Harris or Darnell Mooney
Nico Collins or Amari Cooper
Romeo Doubs or Darnell Mooney
Tee Higgins or Darnell Mooney
Tyrone Tracyjr or Amari Cooper
Tyrone Tracyjr or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Aj Brown or Amari Cooper
Alexander Mattison or Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper or Darnell Mooney
Brandon Mcmanus or Amari Cooper
Calvin Ridley or Amari Cooper
Calvin Ridley or Amari Cooper
Calvin Ridley or Darnell Mooney
Chuba Hubbard or Amari Cooper
Courtland Sutton or Darnell Mooney
Courtland Sutton or Deebo Samuelsr
Dandre Swift or Amari Cooper
Dandre Swift or Amari Cooper
Darnell Mooney or Deebo Samuelsr
Deebo Samuel or Darnell Mooney
Devonta Smith or Darnell Mooney
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Gus Edwards or Darnell Mooney
Gus Edwards or Deebo Samuelsr
Isaac Guerendo or Amari Cooper
Isiah Pacheco or Darnell Mooney
Jakobi Meyers or Amari Cooper
Jakobi Meyers or Darnell Mooney
Jakobi Meyers or Deebo Samuelsr
Jalen Mcmillan or Amari Cooper
Jameson Williams or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Deebo Samuelsr
Javonte Williams or Deebo Samuelsr
Jayden Reed or Darnell Mooney
Jerome Ford or Darnell Mooney
Jerry Jeudy or Darnell Mooney
Jerry Jeudy or Deebo Samuelsr
John Bates or Darnell Mooney
Josh Downs or Amari Cooper
Josh Downs or Amari Cooper
Justice Hill or Deebo Samuelsr
Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper
Keenan Allen or Darnell Mooney
Kendre Miller or Darnell Mooney
Ladd Mcconkey or Darnell Mooney
Malik Nabers or Amari Cooper
Malik Nabers or Deebo Samuelsr
Marquise Brown or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Amari Cooper
Najee Harris or Deebo Samuelsr
Quentin Johnston or Deebo Samuelsr
Quentin Johnston or Deebo Samuelsr
Rachaad White or Darnell Mooney
Rhamondre Stevenson or Darnell Mooney
Rhamondre Stevenson or Deebo Samuelsr
Rome Odunze or Darnell Mooney
Romeo Doubs or Deebo Samuelsr
Tank Bigsby or Darnell Mooney
Tim Patrick or Deebo Samuelsr
Tony Pollard or Amari Cooper
Tony Pollard or Darnell Mooney
Tony Pollard or Deebo Samuelsr
Travis Kelce or Darnell Mooney
Tyrone Tracyjr or Amari Cooper
Xavier Worthy or Amari Cooper
Xavier Worthy or Amari Cooper
Xavier Worthy or Deebo Samuelsr
Zach Charbonnet or Amari Cooper
Zay Flowers or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Deebo Samuelsr
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper
Adam Thielen or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Darnell Mooney
Adam Thielen or Deebo Samuelsr
Adam Thielen or Deebo Samuelsr
Aj Brown or Amari Cooper
Aj Brown or Amari Cooper
Alexander Mattison or Amari Cooper
Alexander Mattison or Darnell Mooney
Alexander Mattison or Deebo Samuelsr
Alexander Mattison or Deebo Samuelsr
Alexander Mattison or Deebo Samuelsr
Alvin Kamara or Amari Cooper
Alvin Kamara or Darnell Mooney
Alvin Kamara or Deebo Samuelsr
Amari Cooper or Darnell Mooney
Amari Cooper or Darnell Mooney
Amari Cooper or Deebo Samuelsr
Amari Cooper or Deebo Samuelsr
Breece Hall or Amari Cooper
Brian Robinsonjr or Amari Cooper
Brian Robinsonjr or Amari Cooper
Brian Robinsonjr or Darnell Mooney
Brian Robinsonjr or Darnell Mooney
Brian Robinsonjr or Darnell Mooney
Brian Thomasjr or Amari Cooper
Brian Thomasjr or Darnell Mooney
Brian Thomasjr or Darnell Mooney
Calvin Ridley or Amari Cooper
Calvin Ridley or Darnell Mooney
Calvin Ridley or Deebo Samuelsr
Calvin Ridley or Deebo Samuelsr
Cedric Tillman or Darnell Mooney
Ceedee Lamb or Darnell Mooney
Christian Watson or Darnell Mooney
Christian Watson or Darnell Mooney
Cleveland Browns or Darnell Mooney
Cooper Kupp or Amari Cooper
Cooper Kupp or Darnell Mooney
Cooper Kupp or Darnell Mooney
Cooper Kupp or Deebo Samuelsr
Courtland Sutton or Amari Cooper
Courtland Sutton or Darnell Mooney
Courtland Sutton or Darnell Mooney
Dalton Kincaid or Darnell Mooney
Dandre Swift or Darnell Mooney
Dandre Swift or Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney or Amari Cooper
Darnell Mooney or Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney or Deebo Samuelsr
Darnell Mooney or Deebo Samuelsr
David Njoku or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Amari Cooper
Deandre Hopkins or Amari Cooper
Deandre Hopkins or Darnell Mooney
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Deandre Hopkins or Deebo Samuelsr
Deebo Samuel or Amari Cooper
Deebo Samuelsr or Amari Cooper
Deebo Samuelsr or Amari Cooper
Deebo Samuelsr or Darnell Mooney
Deebo Samuelsr or Darnell Mooney
Deebo Samuelsr or Darnell Mooney
Devin Singletary or Darnell Mooney
Devonta Smith or Darnell Mooney
Devonta Smith or Deebo Samuelsr
Dj Moore or Amari Cooper
Dj Moore or Amari Cooper
Dj Moore or Darnell Mooney
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Amari Cooper
Dk Metcalf or Darnell Mooney
Dk Metcalf or Darnell Mooney
Drake London or Amari Cooper
Drake London or Darnell Mooney
Drake London or Deebo Samuelsr
Elijah Moore or Darnell Mooney
Garrett Wilson or Amari Cooper
Garrett Wilson or Darnell Mooney
Hunter Henry or Darnell Mooney
Isaac Guerendo or Darnell Mooney
Isaac Guerendo or Deebo Samuelsr
Isiah Pacheco or Darnell Mooney
Isiah Pacheco or Darnell Mooney
Jakobi Meyers or Amari Cooper
Jakobi Meyers or Darnell Mooney
Jalen Coker or Deebo Samuelsr
Jalen Hurts or Deebo Samuelsr
Jalen Mcmillan or Amari Cooper
Jalen Mcmillan or Amari Cooper
Jalen Mcmillan or Amari Cooper
Jalen Mcmillan or Darnell Mooney
Jameson Williams or Amari Cooper
Jauan Jennings or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Darnell Mooney
Jauan Jennings or Deebo Samuelsr
Jauan Jennings or Deebo Samuelsr
Javonte Williams or Darnell Mooney
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Amari Cooper
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Deebo Samuelsr
Jayden Reed or Amari Cooper
Jayden Reed or Darnell Mooney
Jayden Reed or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Darnell Mooney
Jaylen Waddle or Deebo Samuelsr
Jaylen Waddle or Deebo Samuelsr
Jaylen Warren or Darnell Mooney
Jerome Ford or Amari Cooper
Jerome Ford or Amari Cooper
Jerome Ford or Deebo Samuelsr
Jerome Ford or Deebo Samuelsr
Jerry Jeudy or Darnell Mooney
Jerry Jeudy or Darnell Mooney
Jerry Jeudy or Darnell Mooney
Jonathan Taylor or Amari Cooper
Jonathan Taylor or Deebo Samuelsr
Jonnu Smith or Amari Cooper
Jonnu Smith or Deebo Samuelsr
Jonnu Smith or Deebo Samuelsr
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Darnell Mooney
Jordan Addison or Deebo Samuelsr
Josh Downs or Amari Cooper
Josh Downs or Amari Cooper
Josh Downs or Amari Cooper
Josh Downs or Darnell Mooney
Josh Downs or Darnell Mooney
Josh Downs or Darnell Mooney
Kareem Hunt or Amari Cooper
Kareem Hunt or Darnell Mooney
Kareem Hunt or Darnell Mooney
Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper
Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper
Keenan Allen or Darnell Mooney
Keenan Allen or Darnell Mooney
Keenan Allen or Deebo Samuelsr
Kendre Miller or Darnell Mooney
Kendre Miller or Deebo Samuelsr
Kenneth Walkeriii or Darnell Mooney
Keon Coleman or Deebo Samuelsr
Khalil Shakir or Amari Cooper
Khalil Shakir or Amari Cooper
Khalil Shakir or Amari Cooper
Khalil Shakir or Darnell Mooney
Khalil Shakir or Darnell Mooney
Kyle Pitts or Amari Cooper
Ladd Mcconkey or Darnell Mooney
Ladd Mcconkey or Deebo Samuelsr
Mark Andrews or Amari Cooper
Mark Andrews or Darnell Mooney
Marquez Valdesscantling or Amari Cooper
Marquez Valdesscantling or Deebo Samuelsr
Marvin Harrisonjr or Amari Cooper
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Darnell Mooney
Marvin Harrisonjr or Deebo Samuelsr
Michael Pittmanjr or Deebo Samuelsr
Michael Pittmanjr or Deebo Samuelsr
Miles Sanders or Amari Cooper
New Yorkjets or Amari Cooper
Patrick Taylorjr or Amari Cooper
Patrick Taylorjr or Amari Cooper
Quentin Johnston or Amari Cooper
Rachaad White or Amari Cooper
Rachaad White or Darnell Mooney
Rachaad White or Deebo Samuelsr
Rashod Bateman or Amari Cooper
Rico Dowdle or Deebo Samuelsr
Rome Odunze or Amari Cooper
Rome Odunze or Amari Cooper
Romeo Doubs or Amari Cooper
Sam Laporta or Amari Cooper
Sam Laporta or Amari Cooper
Sincere Mccormick or Darnell Mooney
Tank Bigsby or Darnell Mooney
Tank Bigsby or Deebo Samuelsr
Tank Dell or Amari Cooper
Tank Dell or Darnell Mooney
Tank Dell or Darnell Mooney
Terry Mclaurin or Amari Cooper
Terry Mclaurin or Amari Cooper
Terry Mclaurin or Darnell Mooney
Terry Mclaurin or Darnell Mooney
Terry Mclaurin or Deebo Samuelsr
Tim Patrick or Darnell Mooney
Tj Hockenson or Darnell Mooney
Tj Hockenson or Deebo Samuelsr
Tony Pollard or Deebo Samuelsr
Travis Etiennejr or Darnell Mooney
Travis Etiennejr or Darnell Mooney
Travis Etiennejr or Deebo Samuelsr
Travis Etiennejr or Deebo Samuelsr
Tyjae Spears or Amari Cooper
Tyjae Spears or Darnell Mooney
Tyjae Spears or Deebo Samuelsr
Tyjae Spears or Deebo Samuelsr
Tyler Johnson or Amari Cooper
Tyreek Hill or Darnell Mooney
Tyreek Hill or Darnell Mooney
Tyreek Hill or Darnell Mooney
Tyrone Tracyjr or Amari Cooper
Wandale Robinson or Amari Cooper
Xavier Worthy or Amari Cooper
Xavier Worthy or Darnell Mooney
Xavier Worthy or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Amari Cooper
Zay Flowers or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Darnell Mooney
Zay Flowers or Deebo Samuelsr
Zay Flowers or Deebo Samuelsr
Brian Thomasjr or Darnell Mooney
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