Who Should I Start? Jordan Whittington or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Tuesday, August 5, 8:58 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington flashed as a rookie in 2024 when Puka Nacua went down with an injury. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer writes that Whittington is a "tough, strong special-teamer, and has shown an ability to separate in camp." The Rams' top two receivers will be Nacua and veteran Davante Adams, but Whittington is battling for the WR3 role this summer, with Demarcus Robinson and Tut Atwell being his primary competition. The 24-year-old former sixth-rounder was also a standout at last year's camp, only to catch 22 of 28 targets for 293 yards and no touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (three starts). However, he did have 62 or more yards in each of the three games he had over 30 offensive snaps. Whittington is one to watch for now in standard-sized fantasy leagues, but he could quickly become a priority waiver addition if one of Nacua or Adams gets injured.

Wednesday, August 6, 12:06 PM

On the Las Vegas Raiders' first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, they've listed rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. as a starter opposite Jakobi Meyers. Thornton has impressed all season leading into his first year in the NFL and continues to get reps with the first-team offense during training camp. With the Raiders expected to play their starters in their preseason opener this Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks, we should see the 22-year-old get some run with quarterback Geno Smith for a series or two. So far, Thornton has been more impressive than Jack Bech, and he could operate as Smith's top deep threat down the field in 2025. Thornton averaged an impressive 25.4 yards per catch in his final season at Tennessee and could be worth a late-round flier in deep fantasy leagues. RotoBaller has him ranked as the WR78.