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

Wednesday, October 8, 11:09 AM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals missed the first two games of the 2025 season with a knee injury. He's been active in each of the team's last three games, but Royals has not yet been targeted by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 22-year-old appears buried on Kansas City's wide receiver depth chart behind Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, Tyquan Thornton, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Royals could fall down the depth chart even further in Week 7 when top Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice is eligible to return from suspension. Royals maintains some appeal in dynasty leagues, but he should remain off the radar of redraft fantasy managers for the time being.

Saturday, November 15, 4:29 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. is trying to take advantage of expanded opportunities in Week 11. Thornton only caught one pass for four yards in their Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos, but played 60% of the snaps, which ranked second on the team. With the Dallas Cowboys on the slate in Week 11, Thornton could offer big-play upside in deeper leagues and DFS formats. The Cowboys have allowed the most half-PPR fantasy points to wide receivers this season, so this could be a big week for the rookie receiver. In what should be a high-scoring affair in Week 11, look for Thornton to make an impact in Week 11.