Top Fantasy Play? ESPN Bullish on Pair of Falcons Playmakers

ESPN Insiders were asked for their fantasy football top of the week, and they named two Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney is becoming a hot name in fantasy football. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons offense had a prolific day last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a team-record 508-passing yards from quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The Buccaneers loaded up to stop Falcons' running game, and Cousins made them pay. He spread the ball around to five receivers who had at least 60-yards receiving.

His favorite target on the night was Darnell Mooney, also new to the Falcons after signing as a free agent the same week as Cousins. Mooney was targeted 16 times by Cousins and had 105 yards and two touchdowns.

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Now that Cousins and the Atlanta-aerial attack have put on tape their ability to put up big numbers, it stands to reason that teams will back off the line of scrimmage. The biggest beneficiary of the balanced attack should be running back Bijan Robinson who has routinely faced eight or nine-man fronts since being drafted No. 8 overall a year ago.

ESPN Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been paying attention to the Falcons' offense. They've seen the connection Cousins has with Mooney and the effect it can have on Robinson.

When asked this week for a fantasy football tip on their weekly ESPN Insider column, each of them picked a Falcon.

"Don't give up on Bijan Robinson," Graziano pleaded on ESPN+. "Don't bench him. Don't trade him away. I get it. I feel your pain. I'm living it with you. But (A) the Falcons running back has been fine, even though you drafted him for more than fine, and (B) he's playing the Panthers this week. Carolina is giving up the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs this season. Heck, you could play Tyler Allgeier as a flex this week if you're up against it due to injuries or bye weeks or whatever.

"This is the week Robinson looks like the guy you spent that high first-round pick on. He just has to, right? Right?!?"

The Falcons aren't going to throw for 500 yards-per-game. Robinson hasn't had a breakout performance this year, and Sunday afternoon's contest against the reeling Carolina Panthers is his best option. They've already placed star defenders Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson on the injured list, and linebacker Josey Jewell hasn't returned to practice after missing last week's game.

This is the week Bijan Robinson cracks 100-rushing yards... right?

Fowler's tip was to believe in the Cousins/Mooney connection.

"Ignore the Falcons' depth and play Darnell Mooney," wrote Fowler. "The hesitancy to play him has been understandable because of all of Atlanta's playmakers, but Mooney has two things going for him: Chemistry with Kirk Cousins and respect from opponents. In back-to-back weeks, opposing teams told me Mooney was a high priority on the scouting report, a true 1A to Drake London. He'd be a bigger name but was camouflaged by the Bears' uneven passing game. That's no longer an issue."

When the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in March, they were hoping he'd have the keys to unlocking the young weapons Atlanta had invested in in the draft. Bijan Robinson is 22, Drake London 23, Kyle Pitts just turned 24, and Mooney is the old man of the group who turns 27 later this month.

After five weeks, the Falcons are ranked No. 10 in total offense and climbing, and the national pundits are taking notice of Atlanta's playmakers.

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