Who Should I Start? Nico Collins or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Saturday, December 6, 7:06 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins should continue to get plenty of targets as his team faces an important matchup in Week 14 against the Chiefs, as both teams try to stay in the playoff race heading into the final few weeks of the regular season. Collins has drawn at least 10 targets in five of his last six games and is up to 95 targets in 11 games this season. He has converted those looks into 57 catches for 795 yards and four touchdowns on the year, and last week, he finished with five catches for 98 yards against the Colts, while adding the first rushing touchdown of his career. Collins is one of the top options in the Texans' passing game, which has been effectively high-volume in the past few weeks. He remains a top-10 option with good upside even in a tough matchup against the Chiefs, who have been a slightly below-average matchup for receivers this season. In RotoBaller's Week 14 rankings, Collins is the No. 8 wide receiver, making him still a top receiver in most leagues and a strong start in almost all formats this week.

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.