Drake London Deep Dive 🐦

Welcome to The Pit Stop. Every Thursday we take a full-length deep dive on a player whose dynasty stock deserves your full attention. This week: Drake London.

— Dynasty Detour Tom

🐦 Under The Hood: Drake London

🏈 The Player

Drake London is only 24 years old and coming off a top-5 fantasy season. Yet somehow, he still feels underrated.

Let’s rewind:

• 🌘 Rookie Year (2022): 72 receptions, 866 yards, 4 TDs (on 117 targets)
  

• 🌖 Sophomore Year (2023): 69 receptions, 905 yards, 2 TDs (on 110 targets)
  

• 🌕️ Breakout Year (2024): 100 receptions, 1,271 yards, 9 TDs (on 158 targets) – WR5 overall
  

London’s 2024 production didn’t come out of nowhere — it was the culmination of growth in all phases: contested catch ability, short-area separation, and route polish. He also finally got semi-competent quarterback play for the first time in his career.

But even that might be underselling it. Because when Michael Penix Jr. took over as the starter?

London exploded.

In the three games with Penix under center:

• 13 targets per game
  

• 7 receptions per game
  

• 117 receiving yards per game
  

• 23 PPR points per game

   
  

That stretch included a 40.7-point Week 18 nuclear game against Carolina — the highest single-game total of his career.

Extrapolate those three games across an 18-game season, and you get:

• 126 receptions
  

• 2,106 yards
  

• 12 touchdowns
  

• 414 PPR points
   

That would be the third-best WR season ever, trailing only Cooper Kupp in 2021 and Jerry Rice in 1995. Let’s not get carried away by a 3 game sample - but from what we’ve seen, the Penix connection is budding.

🏙️ The Situation

London’s breakout in 2024 was impressive in a vacuum. But it’s even more impressive when you consider who was throwing him the ball.

Kirk Cousins was fine. But not great.

• 2.7% big-time throw rate (per PFF)
  

• 8.0 average depth of target (18th of 32 QBs with 300+ dropbacks)
   

He was functional, but uninspiring. And yet London still produced WR5 numbers.

Now Penix takes over full-time, and the situation looks even better:

• Penix had a 10.6 average depth of target in his three starts — over two yards higher than Cousins
  

• He made 10 big-time throws in three starts, just three fewer than Cousins had in 11 games
  

• The Falcons passed for only 21 touchdowns in 2024. London caught 9 of them.

The advanced metrics highlight just how stark the difference was. Cousins often relied on short, timing-based concepts, while Penix wasn’t afraid to push the ball downfield and trust his playmakers. London was the direct beneficiary. His average depth of target rose by nearly three yards with Penix, and his contested catch opportunities nearly doubled. Penix’s willingness to challenge safeties opened up explosive plays that Cousins simply wasn’t attempting.

From a dynasty perspective, that kind of QB-WR synergy is gold. We’ve seen it before — think Burrow + Chase, Stroud + Collins, even Stafford + Kupp. When a quarterback locks onto a young receiver and builds rhythm early, the result is a long runway of fantasy production. London’s late-season usage profile with Penix (30%+ target share, WR1-level efficiency) suggests this could be one of those pairings.

This isn’t a high-volume offense by default. But London has proven to be the guy when it matters.

And his competition for targets remains… let's call it modest:

• Darnell Mooney
  

• Ray-Ray McCloud
  

• Kyle Pitts (still theoretically a thing)
  

Unless Pitts truly breaks out, London has a shot at 30%+ target share in 2025.

Add in his size (6'4"), red zone dominance, and ascending chemistry with Penix, and you get a WR1 profile that's extremely sustainable.

📊 Outlook

🔜 Short term:
London is locked into a high-opportunity, low-competition role in what could be an ascending offense. He’s only gotten better each year in the league, and with Penix likely to be more aggressive than Cousins, London’s ceiling might even rise. Don’t be surprised if he repeats or improves on his WR5 finish. I have him projected as a top-5 wideout again in 2025, and I’d take him over older names like Tyreek, Diggs, and Kupp without hesitation.

🔮 Long term:
There’s always some risk with a new QB, but Penix showed enough in his starts to believe in the pairing. If he flops, things could get rocky — but even then, London has the kind of target command that travels. He has no real injury history, a growing skillset, and a coaching staff that’s clearly ready to feature him. London could be an elite WR1 for the next 5+ seasons.

🧑‍⚖️ Verdict:
London is still being drafted WR9 on KeepTradeCut. He just finished as WR5. He’s 24. And his QB might be better this year.

That’s a buy.

Would I take him over Amon-Ra and Puka? Yes.
Is he a great tier-down target if you’re trying to get a couple years younger from CeeDee and Jettas? 100%.

I’ve got London as my WR6 in dynasty and my 13th overall player in Superflex formats. He’s a hammer pick in startups, a rock-solid hold for contenders, and one of the safest ascending profiles in the league.

Dynasty Trade Strategy:

• If you’re rebuilding: target London as a centerpiece. Offer multiple aging assets (like Saquon Barkley + a 2027 2nd) and see if the manager wants to win now. If you can add London under market, you lock in an elite profile entering his prime.

• If you’re contending: he’s a perfect consolidation target. Try flipping two Tier 2 receivers (like Garrett Wilson + Xavier Worthy) to upgrade into London’s star-studded output.

• In superflex: explore packaging a mid-tier QB (Baker Mayfield?) + a late 1st for London if your QB room is deep. These are the deals that build championship cores.

Because his outlook is strong both now and in the future, London is a rare dynasty buy for contenders and rebuilders alike..

 — DynastyDetourTom

Thanks for sticking with me. Stay tuned for another Preseason Pulse newsletter next Monday, and The Pit Stop next Thursday. Be sure to follow us @dynastydetour on Instagram and X/Twitter to get our reactions and opinions in between issues, as well as email us with any questions at [email protected]. See you out on the road 🚘️.