In The Blitz, RotoViz writers react to the latest news and help you place it within the context of our 2020 research and recommendations.

As the 2020 season comes to a close, I often spend significant time looking for young wide receivers who I think can take that next step in the coming season. It’s not always rookies who catch my eye, but in this case, there’s a young, athletic wide receiver for the Chicago Bears who peaked in Week 17. Darnell Mooney may only have fifth-round draft capital behind him, but he’s making a strong case to see a massive uptick in usage as a sophomore.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (ankle) left Sunday’s contest versus Green Bay before its conclusion due to an ankle ailment that he sustained earlier in the game. Prior to his departure, Mooney hauled in career highs with 11 receptions for 93 yards. Mooney ends his rookie regular-season with impressive production that included 61 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns, giving him significant season-long fantasy intrigue heading into 2021, no matter who his quarterback may be. Should Chicago finagle their way into the postseason, fantasy managers will want to check back to further monitor Mooney’s injury status. Any absence from Mooney would lead to Allen Robinson II and Anthony Miller seeing an even larger role in the team’s offense moving forward.

Promising Rookie Campaign

In his rookie season, Mooney saw at least five targets in 12 of his final 14 games, peaking with 11 receptions on 13 targets in Week 17 before leaving with an ankle injury. That’s ample opportunity for a Day 3 draft pick who didn’t have much of a training camp or offseason program to get up to speed with his new team. Mooney tested well at the NFL Combine by running a 4.38 and demonstrating above average explosiveness. He earned exciting athletic comps such as Tyler Lockett and John Brown.