When the Marcus Mariota era begins in New Orleans in Week 1, we know he will be throwing to Kyle Pitts, but will rookie WR Drake London be available? As the 41st wideout that was taken off the board during drafts, fantasy managers want to know whether or not he will play and, if he does, is he worth a roster spot? Here is what we know.
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Drake London is Questionable for Week 1
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have listed WR Drake London as questionable for Week 1.
Fantasy Impact
London’s snaps were limited throughout the preseason, signaling that he will be a starter for the Falcons in 2022. His status has been progressing forward, and the team will make a firm decision tomorrow based on his knee, but if he plays, expect volume in a relatively talent-deficient group of Atlanta WRs.
Related News
- Drake London logs limited practice Thursday
- Drake London “trending in a positive direction” for Week 1
- Drake London returns to practice Monday
What the Experts are Saying
Not a lot of diagnostic information released on this one, but his practice trends are headed in the right direction, and Falcons statements are optimistic that London is playing Week 1. I’d plan to start him but have a backup on hand in case of a surprise on the pre-game inactive report.
-Deepak Chona
Assuming Drake London is fully recovered from his preseason knee injury, he can give Kyle Pitts a run for his money as the team’s target leader beginning Week 1. London crushed in his final season at USC with a 24.8% target share while ranking fifth in yards per route run among FBS wide receivers (minimum 50 targets). Despite flashing the prowess to play outside and beat man coverage last year, Russell Gage still ran nearly 50% of his routes from the slot. This type of usage beckons London against the Saints. Marshon Lattimore shadowed four times last season but only spent a total of 14 snaps in the slot in those games (6.1% slot overall last season), so getting London matched up inside against P.J. Williams or Tyrann Mathieu shouldn’t be a problem. When Lattimore, who allowed a 57.4% catch rate and 99.7 passer rating last season, isn’t matched up with London on the outside, he’ll see Paulson Adebo. Adebo is the weakest corner that New Orleans has, giving up a 65.0% catch rate and 95.5 passer rating in his rookie season.
-Derek Brown
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