On Opening Day, the Atlanta Falcons suffered a 23-20 loss to the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that might have cost them more than a ding in the NFC South standings.
Late in Sunday’s defeat, Falcons WR Drake London landed hard on his right shoulder after an attempted catch. The fifth-year wideout subsequently left the game after 67 snaps — 88% of the available snaps — and was ruled out by the team.
A Sunday night Week 2 clash with the Minnesota Vikings looms, which begs the question: Will London play through the injury?
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Drake London Injury Update: Will He Play in Week 2?
Immediately following the Week 1 loss, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris didn’t offer specifics on London’s shoulder, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Media since revealed we're looking at a “day-to-day” sprain.
The good news is Atlanta seems to have avoided a worst-case scenario, but the bad news is it’ll take subsequent tests — and several days of practice — to get a true read on London’s availability.
The gritty pass catcher is no stranger to playing through the pain. Since missing all of his rookie campaign with a fractured ankle, the USC product has nursed knee, groin, hip and hamstring ouchies. He started every game last season, despite the latter two hiccups.
Drake London Fantasy Football Projections
London is a high-end fantasy WR1, as witnessed by his 2024-25 finish as as WR6 overall...and that was with a shell of Kirk Cousins and then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. sharing quarterback duties for the Falcons.
Nonetheless, in his three starts with Penix, London racked up 22 grabs for 352 yards.
Last year, London showed that he's a quick starter, scoring 9 TDs between Weeks 1-7.
The former No. 8 overall pick’s PrizePicks NFL Projection for Week 2 is 0.5 TDs.
Falcons Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 2
And then there's Atlanta's WR2, Darnell Mooney. The 27-year-old is still recovering from a shoulder injury of his own, which caused him to be limited in each Falcons practice entering Week 1. He sat out of Sunday's opener.
Mooney and London’s respective status for SNF could see Atlanta emphasize deep cut wideouts like Ray-Ray McCloud and Casey Washington; TE Kyle Pitts could also see some extra targets.
If London misses time, the offense's real focal point — as per usual — will likely be fantasy darling Bijan Robinson.
Last season’s fantasy RB4 recorded 6 catches for 100 yards and a TD on Opening Day, and he's made plenty of hay in his two career starts against Minnesota, compiling 160 all-purpose yards and a score.
Robinson's PrizePicks Week 2 projection is 1.5 Rush+Rec TDs (Demon).
London’s progress is worth monitoring, as are your Lineups with PrizePicks. Playing NFL DFS has never been easier. Simply find your players on the board, select More or Less for their stats, and get a chance to win real money for your picks.
