Who Should I Start? Kayshon Boutte or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, January 7, 9:54 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte finished his third season with 33 catches (46 targets) for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. The 23-year-old wideout was one of the most explosive receivers in the league and had a dynamic downfield connection with quarterback Drake Maye, leading the league with 12.24 yards per target (minimum 40 targets). With how well-distributed New England's passing attack has been this season, Boutte's target volume hasn't been high enough for consistent fantasy production, with eight targets being his season high, which occurred back in Week 1. He projects as a boom-or-bust option in a tough matchup in Sunday's Wild-Card game against the Los Angeles Chargers, who allowed the ninth-fewest PPR points to receivers in the regular season.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:25 AM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has had a quiet rookie season, recording 10 catches (29 targets) for 135 yards and zero touchdowns in 14 games. Thornton earned steady playing time out of the gate -- 61.8% of the snaps over the first five weeks -- and drew at least two targets in each game. Known for his speed and big-play ability as a prospect, he showcased his explosiveness for the Raiders in the first three games of his career, hauling in five of his 12 targets for 94 yards. The Tennessee product posted a 25% explosive-catch rate, tied for the highest in the league among receivers with at least 12 targets during that span. The rookie fourth-rounder's snaps eventually faded, beginning in Week 11, where he played on only 38.3% of snaps and gradually declined every week until bottoming out to 7.4% in Week 16. However, in Week 17, with the Raiders competing for the No. 1 overall pick, Thornton's snaps spiked to 78%. He recorded just two catches (four targets) for 12 yards, but he had his most receptions and targets in a game since Week 3. Looking to 2026, Thornton profiles as a big-play threat who is unlikely to be a consistent producer week to week.