Who Should I Start? Christian Watson or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, July 23, 3:45 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee), who suffered a torn ACL near the end of last season, is recovering well, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Gutekunst said his rehab is going "great," and the former North Dakota State speedster did a test run earlier in the week. "It's an ACL, so we're going to take our time with him," Gutekunst said. "But he's pressing to get out there." Watson has missed 13 games through the first three seasons of his pro career since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Overall, he has hauled in 98 of his 172 targets for 1,653 yards and 14 touchdowns. It's a positive sign that he is recovering quickly, but his fantasy prospects are tough to believe in based on what we've seen thus far and the addition of Texas wideout Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Wednesday, July 23, 8:30 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. continued to get first-team reps when the offense was in 11 personnel at training camp practice on Wednesday, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Quarterback Geno Smith did throw a deep ball to Thornton, but it was broken up. Thornton, not second-rounder Jack Bech, has been getting reps with the first-team offense since the spring, so he could be a valuable deep threat with his speed for Smith in his first year in the NFL. Jakobi Meyers is the Raiders' WR1 entering the season, so there is plenty of opportunity for Thornton if he continues to impress the coaching staff and gain chemistry with Smith. Tre Tucker will be Thornton's primary competition for targets. At best, Thornton might be a boom/bust flex option for fantasy managers in deeper formats.