RADIO
Dont'e Thornton start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 1 of 2025. Should you start or sit Dont'e Thornton Jr. for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 14-team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: Upside WR3/WR4
ANALYSIS: The Las Vegas Raiders added two wide receivers in the draft, Jack Bech in the second round and Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth. However, the fourth-rounder appears to have not only surpassed Bech on the depth chart but has claimed a starting role prior to their Week 1 clash with the New England Patriots.
Earlier this week, the Raiders announced that the rookie out of Tennessee will open the season as a starting receiver. This is significant as Thornton was not only able to jump a rookie with higher draft capital but also veteran Amari Cooper, whom the Raiders opted to bring back to their team earlier in August. As a result, this means that Thornton appears poised to open the season playing alongside Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker on the team's first offensive possession.
In college, Thornton flashed immense big-play upside as he led the SEC with an impressive 25.4 YPC during his final collegiate season. Throughout his entire NCAA career, the wideout held a career 30.3 YPR.
Given his projected starting role and potential to see looks downfield, Thornton has emerged as a potential low-end WR3/flex option in deep 14+ team leagues that require 3-WRs. While he is best left on the bench in shallow formats, Thornton has emerged as a must-roster in all 12+ team leagues as he could emerge as the team's primary deep threat quite early in the season.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Listed as Starter on First Depth Chart https://t.co/oS0LkTUEVF
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 3, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Dont'e Thornton Jr.. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Dont'e Thornton Jr. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Dont'e Thornton Jr. compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
