Who Should I Start? Kyren Williams or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Saturday, December 6, 9:50 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams remains the primary option out of the team's backfield, but his floor has declined with the emergence of Blake Corum. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur recently noted that allowing Corum to spell Williams more often has allowed the latter running back to stay fresh over the course of the whole season, and that trend should continue as the playoffs get closer. Managers shouldn't be surprised to see Williams finish with around 15 touches per game while Corum handles roughly seven to 10. With that said, Williams does remain a low-end RB1 in fantasy football, largely due to his ability to catch passes and score touchdowns. He has 24 receptions and 10 trips to the end zone so far in 2025. That bodes well for his outlook in Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points and second-most receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs in 2025. While Williams is no longer the high-end RB1 that managers consistently depended on when he was handling north of 20 carries per game, he's still a top-12 fantasy running back for the rest of the season. Specifically, he ranks as the overall RB10 in RotoBaller's fantasy rankings for Week 14.

Friday, December 5, 8:30 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (concussion) did not practice all week and has officially been ruled out for the Week 14 contest this Sunday against the division-rival Denver Broncos, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Thornton will miss at least one game with the concussion that he suffered in last Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The fourth-round pick out of Tennessee has had a forgettable first year in the league with eight catches on 25 targets (28% success rate) for 123 yards and no touchdowns in 11 games (seven starts). In his defense, the Raiders' offense has stalled more often than not, limiting his opportunities in a depth role. Thornton hasn't had more than one catch in a game this year since Sept. 21 against the Commanders. With Thornton out this weekend, it will give fellow rookie Jack Bech a chance for more playing time, although we aren't expecting much from him against the Broncos' stout defense.