Who Should I Start? Malik Washington or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Saturday, December 27, 7:52 AM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington scored his fourth touchdown of the season last week against the Bengals, taking a nine-yard rush to the end zone in the second quarter. However, he has been in an extremely limited role the last few weeks, catching only one pass on one target in back-to-back contests. The Buccaneers have been a middle-of-the-pack matchup for receivers this season, but Washington is very high-risk since his target share is so low. Rookie QB Quinn Ewers relied heavily on Jaylen Waddle and Darren Waller in his debut, leaving Washington mostly uninvolved except for that gadget-play touchdown. Washington is the No. 62 WR in RotoBaller's Week 17 rankings, so leave him on the bench if possible this week.

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.