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

Saturday, January 11, 7:58 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington showcased some big-play potential last week in the regular season finale, and the Rams may need to be more aggressive in this week's matchup against the Vikings on Monday Night Football of the Wild Card Round. The sixth-round pick from Texas was involved early in the season when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were injured. He had a combined 13 catches for 151 receiving yards in Week 4 and Week 5 but then sustained a shoulder injury that kept him limited for several weeks. Whittington stepped back in last week while the starters rested and caught three of his four targets for a team-high 86 receiving yards while also adding 12 rushing yards on two carries. Whittington does bring some sizzle and upside to the Rams' passing game, but his role is uncertain since the Rams rotate receivers behind the tandem of Nacua and Kupp. He's a dart throw play with upside for DFS contests on Monday.

Friday, June 13, 1:08 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie fourth-round wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. made strides during the offseason, according to ESPN's Ryan McFadden. Thornton caught a touchdown during the red-zone period during the first day of mandatory minicamp this week and also made an impressive catch in the middle of the field on Thursday. The 22-year-old spent a good amount of time working with the first-team offense, with the Raiders occasionally lining him and Tre Tucker up on the outside and Jakobi Meyers in the slot. The 6-foot-5 wideout has a unique blend of size and speed and ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the combine. The Raiders are expecting the Tennessee product to give them juice in the vertical passing attack. Thornton will likely be competing for playing time with Tucker as more of a boom/bust deep threat in fantasy.