Who Should I Start? Dont'e Thornton Jr. or Barion Brown


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.1 0.0 0.0 0.8 9.9 0.1

Dont'e Thornton Jr. News

Raiders Place Dont'e Thornton Jr. on Injured Reserve

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.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.4 0.0 0.0 0.5 6.4 0.0

Barion Brown News

Barion Brown's Absence Could Hint at Potential Role

Saturday, August 22, 6:24 PM

New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Barion Brown did not play in the 34-0 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Brown had a standout training camp and spent time with the first-team offense this summer. While an injury to the sixth-round pick is possible, the team may also have been unwilling to risk him given their injuries in the receiver room. With first-round pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) expected to miss time during the regular season and Mason Tipton still on the PUP list, Brown may have a role this season. The rookie receiver caught all four targets for 53 yards in last week's preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while playing the most snaps among active receivers. While Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele should be the lead receivers early in the season, Brown could carve out a full-time workload if he has a strong start.


Dont'e Thornton Jr. vs. Barion Brown

Still trying to decide between Thornton Jr. and Brown? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Dont'e Thornton Jr. is projected to score 2.1 points this week while Barion Brown is projected to score 1.4 points.