Who Should I Start? Tyquan Thornton or Xavier Hutchinson

Friday, September 26, 10:21 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton had a breakout game in Week 3 against the New York Giants, recording five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. With Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and Rashee Rice (suspension) sidelined in the early part of the season, Thornton has established himself as a downfield option for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Worthy has been able to log full practices so far this week, and the team is optimistic that he will return to the field in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. That dims the outlook for Thornton, but the 25-year-old could still play a role in a Chiefs' offense that has been desperate for playmakers so far in 2025. Thornton profiles as a desperation flex play in deep leagues in Week 4, but he should be stashed on fantasy benches until Worthy proves he is fully healthy.

Friday, September 26, 8:00 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson is still getting plenty of playing time, but his team's offensive struggles have kept him from emerging as a viable deep sleeper. In his third year from Iowa State, he is playing more snaps than fellow former Cyclones Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, but he hasn't made much of an impact. He played 62% of snaps in Week 3 against the Jaguars and had three catches on three targets for 16 yards. He has multiple catches in each game this season, but he has only a total of seven catches for 75 yards on the year. Hutchinson has the potential to be a deep-league bye-week filler if he stays so involved and the Texans' passing game can get going. So far, they've struggled under C.J. Stroud and offensive coordinator Nick Caley, but they're in a good bounce-back spot this week against the Titans. Even in that favorable matchup, though, Hutchinson is only the WR92 in RotoBaller's rankings.