Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or Tyquan Thornton

Wednesday, November 5, 10:17 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton emerged as one of the quiet winners of the NFL Trade Deadline. While several teams reshaped their receiving corps during the deadline, the Giants stood pat, signaling confidence in their current group and keeping Slayton locked in as a top option. Through seven games, Slayton has caught 19 of 30 targets for 254 yards without finding the end zone. Despite modest production, he's played on 85% of the team's offensive snaps, maintaining a strong role in the offense. With rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart continuing to impress, Slayton's breakout could be right around the corner. In Week 10, Slayton draws a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Given his snap share and matchup, Slayton profiles as an intriguing deep-league FLEX flier this week.

Friday, October 24, 3:02 PM

Following a four-week stretch that saw him put up nearly 60 yards per game and three scores, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has fallen off the fantasy radar. He's seen two of his lowest snap counts of the season over the past two weeks, while making only one catch. Rashee Rice, in his first game back from a six-game suspension, was targeted nine times on only 19 pass routes, signaling that he has stepped right back into being the focal point of the team's passing offense, and he'll only continue to see the field more as he plays himself back into shape. What's left of the team's pass work opportunities will be divvied up between Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, and emerging rookie Brashard Smith, leaving Thornton on the outside looking in. While his speed will always make him a big-play threat, his occasional spikes will be too rare and difficult to predict to give him any fantasy value moving forward.