Who Should I Start? Kalif Raymond or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, December 24, 10:32 PM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond had his best performance of the season in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown on five targets. Raymond could see an expanded role again in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings, as top Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) is questionable to play due to a knee injury. However, if St. Brown is active, there's reason to believe Raymond's performance in Week 16 is unlikely to be repeated. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw 54 passes against Pittsburgh, 17 more than he attempted in his first matchup of the season against the Vikings in Week 9. Additionally, Minnesota has been a very tough matchup for opposing passing attacks. The Vikings enter the week ranked second in the NFL in total passing yards allowed (2,790) and tied for second in passing touchdowns allowed (14). Raymond has some upside as a deep-league flex option for fantasy managers if St. Brown is sidelined. If St. Brown is active, fantasy managers should likely avoid Raymond in Week 17.

Monday, February 16, 5:56 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. had an underwhelming rookie season, catching just 10 of his 30 targets for 135 yards through 15 games. There was plenty of preseason hype about the Tennessee product, so it was frustrating to see that he never really produced at a significant level. Part of the blame falls on Thornton himself, but we can also attribute some of it to the poor state of the Raiders' offense. Quarterback Geno Smith struggled during his first year with the team, amassing 17 interceptions and just 19 touchdowns. All signs point to Vegas drafting college football standout Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, which would put the offense in a better state and potentially lead to more upside for Thornton. He could also pick up some additional targets with veteran Tyler Lockett headed for free agency. The 23-year-old is a very intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues after his quiet season. Dynasty managers may have already grown impatient with Thornton, meaning that he could be acquired at minimal cost.