Could Dont'e Thornton Be a Late-Round Sleeper in Fantasy Football Drafts?

The Las Vegas Raiders' offense is slowly but surely moving in the right direction. Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are drawing plenty of fantasy football buzz as building blocks of the unit, and the quarterback position should be upgraded with the addition of Geno Smith.

However, the wide receiver position has a ton of uncertainty. Among the chaos -- including Jakobi Meyers requesting a trade while Amari Cooper was signed -- fourth-round rookie Dont'e Thornton has been making waves in the offseason. In an uncertain receiver room, can we expect Thornton to become a consistent fantasy football contributor?

Note: A player's average draft position (ADP) data comes from FantasyPros' half-PPR data. The basis for rounds used in this piece is from 12-player leagues.

Dont'e Thornton's Rookie Profile

Thornton's quick start has been somewhat of a surprise. He didn't post gaudy numbers in college, recording under 400 receiving yards in his first three seasons. In his final year with the Tennessee Volunteers, Thornton logged a career-high 661 receiving yards.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com highlighted Thornton's ability as a deep ball threat. His career 21.9 yards per catch says enough, and he upped that to a career-high 25.4 yards per reception in 2024.

As you are probably guessing, Thornton posted absurd numbers on deep targets -- including a 99.9 Pro Football Focus receiving grade on targets of 20 or more yards. Posting a 4.3-second 40-yard dash with his 6'5" frame only increased the deep threat hype.

Now that we know where Thornton excels, how does his skillset fit into the Raiders' receiving room?

The Raiders' Wide Receiver Room

As mentioned, this unit has plenty of uncertainty right now. While Meyers requested a trade, he's been back at practice alongside Cooper getting acclimated to the offense.

Meyers totaled a career-high 1,027 receiving yards in 2024 while logging 129 targets (15th-most), per PlayerProfiler. We don't have a clear look of Cooper's role yet, but his production dropped to a career-low 39.1 receiving yards per game in 2024.

Tre Tucker rounds out Thornton's competition in the receiving room. Despite carrying the 14th-highest snap share and 5th-most routes run among his position last season, Thornton's numbers were underwhelming with only 539 receiving in 17 games (31.7 yards per game) a season ago. With Cooper and Thornton joining the room, Tucker will likely take a step back.

We can't go over the Raiders' targets without mentioning Bowers. He shattered records in his first season with 112 receptions for 1,194 receiving yards. Not only did he set the record for the most catches in a rookie season, he also broke Mike Ditka's record for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end.

After finishing as TE1 in the 2024 season, Bowers is the gem of the passing attack carrying an ADP of TE1 and 21.3 overall. He logged the most targets, second-highest target share, most routes run, and most air yards among tight ends last year. Smith should provide improved quarterback play, further adding to Bowers' ceiling.

In short, Bowers will get the lion's share. He's already established himself as one of football's best tight ends. Thornton's value will likely hinge on his share compared to Meyers, Cooper, and Tucker.

Meyers has an ADP of WR41 and 93.0 overall compared to Cooper at WR73 and 215.5 while Tucker is WR116 and 308.0. Similar to Cooper and Tucker, Thornton is mostly going undrafted with his WR68 and 182.5 ADP. Meyers simply feels like the only reliable wideout in the room, but this gives Thornton a real shot to become the unit's WR2.

Dont'e Thornton's Fantasy Football Outlook

Adding Cooper to the receiving corps has certainly caused some pause on Thornton's stock. It's another mouth to feed, and a veteran like Cooper will probably get more work early in the season. However, this isn't a critical blow to Thornton's 2025 campaign.

The former Tennessee Volunteer has something other Raiders receivers cannot offer: elite speed as a deep ball threat. For example, Meyers posted a 4.63-second 40-yard dash in the 2019 NFL Draft Combine. Cooper (4.42) and Tucker (4.40) posted impressive times, but Tucker feels like the only speed we can rely on. Meyers isn't a burner, and Cooper's legs are not the same after playing in the NFL since 2015.

Banking on Thornton's speed may seem fickle, but he's offering something others cannot. This is the rookie's path to playing time. Las Vegas could clearly use a deep threat after logging 6.5 yards per passing attempt in 2024 (seventh-fewest).

Bringing in Smith certainly helps the Raiders air it out. Pro Football Focus awarded Smith passing grades of 99.3, 95.6, and 95.1 on attempts of 20 or more yards over his previous three seasons. With Smith throwing a pretty deep ball, this further elevates Thornton's chances of making some game-shifting plays.

We've hammered Thornton's ability as a deep threat over and over again. When it comes to fantasy football, this usually means boom or bust. Thornton will likely be a quality bench piece, at best. His stock could rely on big plays, meaning he's unlikely to become a weekly play. Still, acquiring an exciting rookie in a weak wide receiver room is worth a swing.

Thornton was listed in our players to stash in fantasy football entering Week 1. He also appeared in our top waiver wire adds for Week 1. According to Yahoo Sports, he's rostered in only 10% of leagues. Buying in on the rookie's stock doesn't take much risk as a waiver add in most fantasy football leagues.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.