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Should you start Kyle Williams, Dont'e Thornton Jr. , Elic Ayomanor in fantasy football Week 1? Dave's fantasy outlooks for these rookie wide receivers in 2025.
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season has finally arrived. After months of preparation, it's now time for the real work to begin.
Even though we are only in Week 1, experienced fantasy managers know how important a fast start is. That means redraft and dynasty football managers must carefully analyze each start/sit decision. Over the last few years, we have had a handful of rookie wide receivers step up and return immediate results. Several rookies available for gamers this year are Kyle Williams, Dont'e Thornton Jr., and Elic Ayomanor.
Each player has a path to immediate playing time, but is it really smart to throw each one into starting lineups right off the bat? Let's take a few minutes and discuss.
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Williams was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was one of the more underrated prospects in this draft and received a good landing spot in New England.
With the No. 69 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @Patriots select Kyle Williams.
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wnA9NLzQbs— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025
Stefon Diggs is not on the Week 1 injury report and appears to be a full go for Week 1. New England gave Diggs a big contract this offseason, so Williams likely begins the year behind Diggs in the pecking order. Third-year receiver DeMario Douglas is also in the mix, and reportedly stood out this summer. Even though Williams is a talented prospect, he could open the year as New England's WR3. With rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson also being a skilled pass-catcher, there is a possibility that Williams is as low as fourth in the pecking order.
The Patriots have a plus matchup to start the year as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders' defense. However, if Williams is not one of the team's top two targets, then he likely carries little fantasy value. That means it's probably best to wait and see what Williams' usage looks like before inserting him into lineups.
Should I Start Dont'e Thornton Jr. in Week 1?
Las Vegas selected Thornton in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He made a lot of headlines this summer and was reportedly a standout star in Raiders camp. For whatever it's worth, Las Vegas listed Thornton as a starter on its unofficial Week 1 depth chart.
4.30u!
Dont'e Thornton Jr. with an impressive first 40 attempt
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/f0kJGxWJP5— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025
This news has gotten people buzzing about the fourth-round rookie. With recent signee Amari Cooper announcing his retirement, there is now even more buzz surrounding Thornton. It sure looks like he's set to begin the year as one of the Raiders' top two wide receivers. While that's exciting, it doesn't necessarily mean he will carry immediate fantasy value. Tight end Brock Bowers will remain the team's de facto WR1, and Thornton will likely be stuck behind veteran Jakobi Meyers for targets as well.
The Raiders take on the New England Patriots in Week 1. New England hired Mike Vrabel to be its new head coach this offseason, and the team is expected to be much better compared to the version we saw last year.
So even though this might look like a good matchup for Thornton, New England's defense could be much better this year. However, star Patriots defensive back Christian Gonzalez is trending toward missing Sunday's game, so there could be a path for Thornton to be a viable flex play in deeper leagues.
In traditional 12-team leagues with smaller lineups, though, it's best to leave Thornton on the bench this week.
Should I Start Elic Ayomanor in Week 1?
Ayomanor was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Like Thornton, Ayomanor also made headlines when the Titans listed him as a starter on their unofficial Week 1 depth chart. This was a particularly exciting development for the rookie because the Titans do not have a clear number two target behind WR1 Calvin Ridley.
From Medicine Hat, Alberta to the National Football League
Elic Ayomanor has arrived 🇨🇦
📸: Ben Liebenberg/NFL | #RookiePremiere pic.twitter.com/69U6VG62hb
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) May 20, 2025
The Titans draw a tough Week 1 road matchup as they play the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Tennessee is now an 8.5-point underdog at some sportsbooks in this game. They will likely be playing from behind for the majority of this contest. That could mean there are plenty of opportunities for Ayomanor. Denver's top defensive back, Patrick Surtain II, will likely be covering Ridley in this game, and that could also mean more targets will head Ayomanor's direction.
While quarterback Cameron Ward received a lot of praise this summer, this is a tough draw for his debut. This could negatively impact Ayomanor's outlook, even though there are some things to like about this matchup/potential gamescript.
There are better days ahead for Tennessee's offense with Ward at the helm, but this is probably not the week to start Ayomanor. It's best to leave him on your bench this week.
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 Kyle Williams, Dont'e Thornton Jr., and Elic Ayomanor outlooks. 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 - Kyle Williams, Dont'e Thornton, Elic Ayomanor. 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 Kyle Williams, Dont'e Thornton, Elic Ayomanor compared to others:
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