Who Should I Start? Noah Brown or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Friday, September 12, 8:58 AM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (groin) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers. Brown exited in the third quarter with a groin injury and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. He finished with one catch on four targets for nine yards in the loss. It's unclear at the moment if Brown will be ready to go for the Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The absence of Brown would likely lead to increased roles for Deebo Samuel Sr., Terry McLaurin, and possibly Luke McCaffrey.

Friday, September 12, 1:50 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. was quiet in the team's Week 1 win over New England, logging just two catches on four targets for 45 yards while playing 60% of the snaps. Encouragingly, he drew more targets than Tre Tucker despite fewer snaps, and the Raiders leaned on the passing game as Geno Smith threw for 362 yards. With Chip Kelly determined to stretch the field, Thornton's speed keeps him in play as a stash with big-play potential. The Week 2 matchup adds intrigue, as the Chargers just allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in Week 1, giving Thornton an outside chance to make noise if he sees increased usage. Until his role grows, he's best kept on benches, but the upside is worth monitoring.