Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Calvin Austin III News
Thursday, August 27, 3:29 PM
The New York Giants officially placed wide receiver Calvin Austin III (knee) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Thursday, according to Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated. Austin will miss the entire 2026 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during training camp practice on Tuesday. With the 27-year-old now out of the picture in the Big Apple this year, it will help Odell Beckham Jr.'s odds of making the 53-man roster as he competes with Braxton Berrios, Jalin Hyatt, and Isaiah Hodgins in a depth role behind Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney. Austin was heading into his first year with the G-Men after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the team in March. The former fourth-rounder in 2022 by the Pittsburgh Steelers from Memphis failed to capitalize on his opportunity in Pittsburgh last year, catching just 31 of 55 targets for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games after going for a career-high 548 yards and four TDs in his second year in 2024. Austin can obviously be ignored in all fantasy formats in 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Dont'e Thornton Jr. News
Monday, August 31, 3:46 PM
The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Monday that they placed wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (undisclosed) on Injured Reserve with an undisclosed injury. Thornton will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2026 campaign. His injury means that Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker, and Jack Bech are locked into the top three receiver spots in Vegas this year, with rookie Malik Benson and Dareke Young rounding out the WR room. The 23-year-old fourth-rounder from Tennessee last year saw limited production in his first NFL season in a bad Raiders offense last year, catching just 10 of his 30 targets for 135 yards and zero touchdowns in 15 games played (eight starts). Thornton missed all of the preseason and most of training camp this summer, which puts him behind the eight ball with the Raiders' new coaching staff in his sophomore campaign. He should only be stashed in deep dynasty/keeper formats, but after Benson's strong summer, Thornton figures to be the team's WR5, at best, when he makes his 2026 debut.
Calvin Austin III vs. Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Still trying to decide between Austin III and Thornton Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Calvin Austin III is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Dont'e Thornton Jr. is projected to score 0.0 points.
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