Drake London Tallies 187 Yards, Two Scores In Week 18
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London had a career day as he brought in 10 of his 18 targets for 187 yards and two touchdowns during their overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. This surpassed London's previous career-high of 172 yards he set during Week 14 of the 2023 season. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leaned heavily on London in this contest, as his 18 targets were 11 more than any other Atlanta pass-catcher. London found the end zone at the end of the second quarter on a 20-yard pass. London would score again in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard reception. The former first-round selection enjoyed the best season of his NFL career in 2024, tallying 1,217 yards and nine total scores. This was the first time he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in his career. London should be viewed as a high-end WR2 heading into the offseason.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London will look to finish strong on Sunday after a 100-yard game last week put him over 1,000 yards receiving for the season. The 23-year-old has seen 21 targets and logged 12 receptions over the last two weeks with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. under center. Although he hasn't caught a touchdown from the lefty QB, he had a near-miss last week and the 6-foot-4 wideout hasn't seen a drop off in production with the rookie throwing him the ball. The USC product was limited in practice earlier this week but is expected to play; Darnell Mooney (shoulder), however, looks like he's on the wrong side of questionable after a limited session Thursday and a DNP on Friday, which would further solidify London's role as No. 1 receiver in a must-win game. The third-year pro sets up nicely in a matchup versus the Panthers who he logged a 6-74-1 line against in Week 6, but with the Falcons likely to lean on the run game, London looks more like a high-end WR2.
Drake London, Darnell Mooney Added To Injury Report
According to the team, Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Drake London (knee) and Darnell Mooney (shoulder) were both added to the injury report following Thursday's practice. Both wideouts practiced on Thursday in a limited capacity. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status on Friday. If they cannot return to full participation, they could carry a questionable tag into Sunday's regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers. Last weekend, London was Michael Penix Jr.'s go-to target in the passing game as he saw an impressive 13 targets during their loss to the Washington Commanders. In this game, Mooney saw five targets but was only able to bring in two of them. If either wide receiver were to miss Sunday's game, Ray-Ray McCloud would see an increase in opportunities.
Drake London Tops 1,000 Yards Receiving For the Season
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London led the Falcons in receiving in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders, hauling in seven of 13 targets for 106 yards, although he was unable to find the end zone. Michael Penix Jr. frequently looked London's way, with no other receiver getting more than five targets, but the lefty QB missed London streaking across the end zone late in the game with an off-target throw. Still, it was a strong showing from the former first-round draft pick, with the yardage total putting him over 1,000 yards receiving on the season, the first 1,000-yard season of his three-year career. The 6-foot-4 wideout gets a favorable home matchup against the Panthers in Week 18, a defense he put a 6-74-1 line on earlier this season.
Drake London To Play In Week 17, Is A Strong WR2 For Fantasy
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (knee) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders. London was limited during the first two practices of the week before getting in a full session on Friday. Now, London has been cleared to play after he suffered a knee injury during last week's game against the New York Giants. He hauled in five of his eight targets for 59 yards last week. The change at quarterback doesn't seem to have hindered London's fantasy value, so fantasy managers can go ahead and plug him in as a WR2.
According to Tori McElhaney of the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Drake London (hamstring) remained a limited participant during Thursday's practice. However, the top wideout noted that he expects to be ready for Sunday night's tilt against the Washington Commanders. Fantasy managers should monitor his status on Friday in case he faces a setback, but they should plan on starting him this weekend. Last weekend, with rookie Michael Penix Jr. under center, London saw eight targets but could only bring in five of them for 59 yards before exiting early with this hamstring injury. Over his past six contests, London has seen 9.5 targets per game and averaged 71.0 yards per game. He should be considered a solid WR2 in all formats facing the Commanders, who have allowed the 15th-most PPR points to opposing wide receivers this season.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (knee) was listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Falcons didn't actually practice on Wednesday, so their injury report is merely a projection of how much London and his teammates would have participated if they did have a formal practice. Seeing any player appear on the injury report in the fantasy playoffs can be concerning, so fantasy managers should certainly stay vigilant and monitor London's practice status over the next couple of days. The good news, though, is that players who are limited Wednesday can typically log a full session by Friday and suit up for Sunday's game. As of now, London should be able to play against the Washington Commanders, ranking as a high-end fantasy WR2 despite the Falcons' recent quarterback switch from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr.
Drake London Likely Avoids Serious Injury On Sunday
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hamstring) had five catches for 59 yards in Sunday's decisive win over the Giants. Michael Penix Jr. got the start in this one, so there were concerns about his chemistry with London and the other Falcons' receivers. However, London still had a decent showing. He did suffer a hamstring injury and didn't return. But it appears the wideout avoided a serious injury, with head coach Raheem Morris stating he felt London could have returned to the game. Of course, there was no point, considering Atlanta built a comfortable lead. At any rate, London will likely undergo some tests and potentially miss practice time during the week. But the Falcons are still alive for the postseason, meaning the team will need him out there next Sunday night against the Commanders. If he can't play, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III should be in line for more attention on the receiving end.
According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's game. The top wideout left in the fourth quarter. Before exiting, London caught five of his eight targets for 58 yards. His yardage total was the second-most on the team, behind Darnell Mooney. Fantasy managers should expect Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III to see most of the targets for the remainder of the afternoon.
Drake London A WR2 In Rookie Quarterback's First Start
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London popped up as a limited participant in Friday's practice due to a knee injury but does not carry an injury designation for the contest and is expected to play. Of course, with fantasy championships potentially in play for some, managers will want to keep an eye out for any news in the event something changes. In Week 15, the 23-year-old scored for the first time since Week 9, however, his outlook is a bit uncertain with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. making his first career start in Week 16 against the Giants. New York has been decent in limiting fantasy production to wide receivers but have been poor against the run. With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in tow, the Falcons would be wise to lean on the run game in this one rather than let the rookie QB air it out, so London figures to be more of a WR2 this week rather than his typical WR1 status.
Drake London
• WR
•
Falcons
