Who Should I Start? KhaDarel Hodge or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Saturday, November 22, 5:17 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge could be in line for a bump in volume in Week 12 against the Saints as Drake London (knee) is sidelined due to injury, with London's double-digit target volume up for grabs. The team's other back-end receiving options, David Sills V and Casey Washington, will also be vying for targets, but now in his fourth year with the team, Hodge has more familiarity in the offense and with Kirk Cousins. It may not amount to much more than a few catches, as it did in Week 8 when London was absent and Hodge compiled eight targets from Cousins, converting three of them for 31 yards. Managers in deep 14-team leagues or larger and those who play DFS could take a shot on the 30-year-old wideout as an under-the-radar lottery ticket in the event he finds the end zone.

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.