Who Should I Start? Xavier Smith or Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 5.5 | 0.0 |
Xavier Smith News
Monday, March 2, 5:18 PM
The Los Angeles Rams announced on Monday that they tendered exclusive-rights free-agent kicker Harrison Mevis and wide receiver Xavier Smith. Neither Mevis nor Smith will be allowed to negotiate with other teams this offseason. Mevis, 23, made his NFL debut last year and was impressive, making 12 of his 13 field-goal attempts (made his lone try from 50-plus yards) and all 39 of his extra-point tries in nine regular-season games. He finished the year ranked as the No. 8 fantasy kicker in terms of fantasy points per game at 8.3. In the playoffs, Mevis was a perfect 15-for-15 on field goals (six) and extra-point tries. The former undrafted kicker out of Missouri should enter the 2026 season as the favorite to be L.A.'s starting kicker, which will make him pretty attractive in fantasy football in one of the league's highest-scoring offenses.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 9.9 | 0.1 |
Dont'e Thornton Jr. News
Friday, June 19, 6:02 PM
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. was unable to find much success this past season. To be fair, the Raiders' offense was horrible as a unit, but Thornton barely showed up on the stat sheet. He finished the season with 10 receptions for 135 receiving yards and zero touchdowns in 13 games. The 24-year-old might've missed his opportunity with the Raiders adding some reinforcements this offseason. They signed Jalen Nailor and Dareke Young in free agency, while adding Malik Benson in the sixth round of this year's draft. Thornton could fall to fourth on the depth chart, which is not a good spot, given Brock Bowers eats a ton of targets at tight end as well. He's young enough to hold onto in dynasty leagues, but Thornton having a consistent role in 2026 seems unlikely.
Xavier Smith vs. Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Still trying to decide between Smith and Thornton Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Xavier Smith is projected to score 1.2 points this week while Dont'e Thornton Jr. is projected to score 2.1 points.
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