Who Should I Start? Luke McCaffrey or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Tuesday, December 16, 12:50 PM

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said he doesn't expect wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (collarbone) to be activated from Injured Reserve for the final three weeks of the season, according to Ben Standig. McCaffrey suffered a broken collarbone in the Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and won't be back in 2025. The 24-year-old former third-round pick in 2024 out of Rice will finish his second year in the NFL with 11 catches on 15 targets for 203 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. McCaffrey averaged a healthy 18.5 yards per reception as a deep threat down the field for quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota, but for fantasy purposes, he was much too inconsistent to trust in starting lineups in most leagues. McCaffrey will be looking to become a more consistent part of Washington's offense in his third year in the league in 2026.

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.