Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Brock Bowers

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.

Monday, January 6, 10:15 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers wrapped up a sensational rookie season despite a constant change at quarterback and a tumultuous season for the team in general. In the Week 18 loss to the Chargers, Bowers finished with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He ended the year with 112 receptions, 1,194 yards, and five touchdowns on 153 targets. His performance broke records for most receptions by a rookie, Raiders franchise single-season receptions, and most yards by a rookie tight end.