Who Should I Start? Jalen Nailor or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Sunday, August 31, 2:15 PM

The Minnesota Vikings are increasingly hopeful that wide receiver Jalen Nailor (hand) will be active in the club's Monday Night Football opener in Chicago, according to a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. That's great news for a Minnesota team that needs some help at the position with Jordan Addison (suspension) set to miss the first three weeks and Rondale Moore (knee) out for the season. Nailor has a limited fantasy ceiling as the likely fourth option in this offense now that the Vikings re-acquired Adam Thielen, but Nailor had some huge catches in a similar role last season with six touchdowns. He'll have some streaming appeal in the early weeks, especially.

Friday, September 5, 7:21 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. enters Week 1 as one of the more intriguing sleepers of the 2025 draft class. The 6'5" playmaker earned a starting role ahead of Amari Cooper's retirement and will face a Patriots secondary that could be without cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Thornton's size and downfield ability have made him a favorite target for quarterback Geno Smith throughout camp, flashing legitimate big-play upside. While his early-season role carries promise, the Raiders are still expected to lean on their running game, limiting his immediate fantasy ceiling. Thornton should be stashed on benches with the potential to develop into a key contributor.