Who Should I Start? Olamide Zaccheaus or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Sunday, December 28, 7:15 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (illness) is inactive for Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. He had been listed as questionable after the Bears added him to the injury report on Sunday morning. The late addition created plenty of concern about his status, and in the end, he won't be able to suit up. This is a significant loss for the Bears, who had already ruled out wide receiver Rome Odunze. With Zaccheaus and Odunze sidelined, Caleb Williams should target DJ Moore and Luther Burden III more often. Moore is a strong WR2, while Burden can be deployed as a solid WR3/flex. Meanwhile, Zaccheaus is droppable in most redraft leagues, since he'll likely be the Bears' No. 4 wide receiver upon his return.

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.