Start Jaylin Noel or Darnell Mooney? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Jaylin Noel over Darnell Mooney in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Jaylin Noel at 4.5 points and Darnell Mooney at 4.3, a gap of 0.1. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 4.5 fantasy points for Jaylin Noel, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Jaylin Noel at 17.5 receiving yards and 1.5 receptions, with a 17% chance to score a touchdown (8, 6 and 12 market sources).

Player markets imply 4.3 fantasy points for Darnell Mooney, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Darnell Mooney at 18.5 receiving yards and 1.5 receptions, with a 13% chance to score a touchdown (14, 12 and 15 market sources).

That puts Jaylin Noel 0.1 points ahead of Darnell Mooney on the market projections.

Injury status

Jaylin Noel is not on the injury report.

Darnell Mooney is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Jaylin Noel played 45 percent of HOU snaps, drew 9 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

Jaylin Noel, Week 1 against BUF: 24 of 79 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 53 yards.

Jaylin Noel, Week 2 against CIN: 48 of 80 snaps, 1 carry for 13 yards, 5 targets and 1 catch for 31 yards.

Jaylin Noel, Week 3 against IND: 14 of 54 snaps, 1 carry for 8 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 17 yards.

Jaylin Noel, Week 4 against DAL: 34 of 55 snaps, 1 carry for 4 yards, 3 targets and 3 catches for 85 yards.

Through Week 4, Darnell Mooney played 57 percent of NYG snaps, drew 9 percent of the targets, earned 11 percent of the air yards and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

Darnell Mooney, Week 1 against DAL: 39 of 69 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 27 yards.

Darnell Mooney, Week 2 against LAR: 42 of 58 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 48 yards.

Darnell Mooney, Week 3 against TEN: 28 of 64 snaps, 1 carry for 9 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 20 yards.

Darnell Mooney, Week 4 against ARI: 37 of 67 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jaylin Noel played 17 games for HOU and scored 68.4 PPR points, 4.0 a game, finishing WR91.

He caught 26 of 35 targets for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 5 red zone targets and 193 air yards.

He was on the field for 27 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Darnell Mooney played 15 games for ATL and scored 82.3 PPR points, 5.5 a game, finishing WR79.

He caught 32 of 72 targets for 443 yards and 1 touchdown, with 7 red zone targets and 370 air yards.

He was on the field for 82 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Jaylin Noel over Elic Ayomanor.
• Start Jahan Dotson over Jaylin Noel.
• Start Kendrick Bourne over Jaylin Noel.
• Start Darnell Mooney over Calvin Ridley.
• Start Darnell Mooney over Elic Ayomanor.
• Start Jahan Dotson over Darnell Mooney.