Who Should I Start? Arian Smith or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Saturday, October 25, 4:22 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith should again see a substantial uptick in playing time when his team squares off with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. The rookie played a season-high in snap share (92%) last weekend, with fellow wideout Garrett Wilson (knee) tending to injury. However, he failed to net positive yardage on 1-of-3 receiving. Smith will get another chance to make an impact this Sunday, although it's currently difficult to trust any of the Jets' skill position players with the offense failing to perform. Furthermore, head coach Aaron Glenn's refusal to name a starting quarterback muddies the situation further, adding an extra variable. With Wilson set to miss another game, and Josh Reynolds (hip) questionable with an injury of his own, Smith will have a chance to lead New York's WR corps if both are inactive. Even still, he's nothing more than a long shot with New York's offense looking woefully outmatched.

Tuesday, October 21, 9:11 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has largely been phased out of the team's offense in recent weeks. Thornton Jr. has recorded five catches for 94 yards on 19 targets across seven games this season. However, he has been held without a reception in each of his last four games played. For the time being, Thornton Jr. appears to be firmly behind Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and Jack Bech on the wide receiver depth chart in Las Vegas. That could change in the coming weeks, as Meyers has reportedly been seeking a trade away from the 2-5 Raiders. With Meyers (knee, toe) inactive in Week 7 due to injury, Thornton Jr. played a season-high 86% of the team's offensive snaps. Even if Meyers is traded, Thornton Jr. will be tough for fantasy managers to trust given his lack of production so far. Still, he's a name to monitor in deeper leagues if the Raiders deal Meyers at some point before the NFL trade deadline.