Thornton comes into Week 6 against the Lions having scored at least 12 PPR points in three of his past four games. He will likely need a big play to help his Fantasy production, and he just had three catches for 90 yards on five targets in Week 5 at Jacksonville. The Lions are No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Thornton should get some opportunities down the field from Patrick Mahomes in this matchup. He's a boom-or-bust No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for Week 6.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Finishes as team's leading receiver
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Thornton finished with three catches for 90 yards on five targets in Monday's 31-28 loss to the Jaguars.
After drawing a team-high nine targets in the Chiefs' Week 3 win over the Giants, Thornton saw his role in the passing game take a significant hit in the Week 4 win over the Ravens, when Kansas City returned Xavier Worthy from a two-game absence. Though he still ranked fourth among Chiefs receivers in snap share (45 percent) and ranked fourth overall in targets in Monday's win, Thornton was able to make the most of his opportunities. He accounted for three of the Chiefs' four biggest plays of the night, ripping off gains of 34, 32 and 24 yards on downfield throws by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As one of the speedier players on the roster, Thornton could continue to have a role as a vertical threat even when Rashee Rice returns from suspension Week 7, but Thornton's game-to-game production will likely be somewhat volatile.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Role fades in Worthy's return
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Thornton recorded one reception on two targets for 11 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-20 win over the Ravens.
Thornton was Kansas City's top pass catcher in Week 3, but he was an afterthought Sunday with Xavier Worthy active for the first time since Week 1. Thornton made the most of his opportunities with an 11-yard touchdown catch down the middle of the field to kick off the second half, however. He has found the end zone in three straight games, but his current role makes him an unreliable fantasy option.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Week 4 Adds (WR Preview)
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Over the past two weeks, Thornton leads the Chiefs with a 21.9% target share. He is one of the few pass-catching options Patrick Mahomes has been able to trust with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy missing. There is some talk of Worthy coming back in a limited role this week, but we aren't expecting much from Worthy yet. Thornton's 25-yard aDOT means he'll be very up and down, but if you need a big swing, he is the guy who could provide in a game against the Ravens, that the Chiefs should be chasing the score.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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We'll see what happens if Xavier Worthy (shoulder) can play in Week 4, and Rashee Rice (suspension) is eligible to play in Week 7. But Thornton has emerged as a playmaker for the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in the past two games against the Eagles and Giants, and he might have some staying power if this continues, even when the Kansas City receiving corps is at full strength. In his past two outings, Thornton has combined for seven catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored at least 13.9 PPR points in each outing. He has a difficult matchup in Week 4 against Baltimore, but then Thornton faces Jacksonville, Detroit and Las Vegas, which are favorable opponents. He'll benefit more the longer Worthy is out, but Thornton is the speed element the Chiefs need to make plays down the field. Fantasy managers can hopefully benefit, and Thornton is worth adding in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Rips off long TD grab
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Thornton brought in two of five targets for 59 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Eagles.
Thornton left his mark on this contest when he beat his defensive assignment deep for a 49-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter of an eventual loss. The former Patriot had just one reception for 10 yards on his previous four targets, highlighting the boom-or-bust nature of his role in this offense. With Xavier Worthy (shoulder) trending towards a Week 3 return, Thornton could find himself back in a reserve role against the Giants next Sunday.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Honing in on roster spot
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Thornton is likely to make the Chiefs' 53-man roster, Jesse Newell of The Athletic reports.
Thornton isn't exactly a roster lock in the way that Rashee Rice (groin), Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown (ankle), JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie fourth-rounder Jalen Royals are, but Newell reports that training camp has clearly demonstrated that Andy Reid envisions a role for Thornton's 4.28 speed. Newell notes that Thornton would be an ideal fit to take over the field-stretching role Kansas City had relied on Justin Watson, now with the Texans, to handle the last three seasons. Thornton will also be a candidate to contribute in the return game, which would boost his odds of securing a depth WR spot on the regular-season roster.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Building momentum with new team
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Thursday at the final session of mandatory minicamp that Thornton has had a good offseason, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports.
"I like [Thornton]," said Reid, mentioning that the wideout has "got [Mahomes'] trust" and has "gotten some valuable reps here." A 2022 second-round pick, Thornton never managed to put things together across his three seasons in New England, resulting in him being cut last November and joining Kansas City's practice squad. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound speedster has managed to flash during early offseason activities, but his next task will be to keep that momentum going during full-contact drills at training camp. The Chiefs have a crowded receiver corps, but if Thornton is able to secure a depth roster spot Reid may be able to make use of his 4.28 speed in occasional designed packages.
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Chiefs' Tyquan Thornton: Inks future deal with Kansas City
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Thonton signed a reserve/future contract with Kansas City on Tuesday, Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reports.
Thornton was waived by the Patriots in mid-November after a disappointing six-game stretch to start the 2024 season, during which he logged just four catches on eight targets for 47 yards. The 2022 second-round pick landed on Kansas City's practice squad Nov. 18, and while he wasn't ever elevated to the active roster, Thornton will have an opportunity to work out with Kansas City during OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
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Tyquan Thornton: Let go by New England
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The Patriots waived Thornton on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Selected with the 50th pick overall by New England in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thornton never lived up to expectations over the first two and a half years of his NFL career, partially due to injuries that limited him to just nine appearances in 2023. He's generally stayed healthy in 2024 but has been unable to carve out a regular role in the wideout rotation, as Thornton had been a healthy inactive in four of the previous five contests. The 24-year-old receiver will be a casualty on the 53-man roster with the Patriots needing to make room for star defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who was activated from the reserve/non-football illness list.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: On track to play Sunday
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Thornton, who has been a healthy scratch the last two games, is in line to be active Sunday against the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Per head coach Jerod Mayo, Thornton has "had a great week of practice. Hopefully it translates." With Ja'Lynn Polk dealing with a concussion, Thornton should have an opportunity to work into the Patriots' wideout rotation Week 8 behind DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne, but until the speedster puts up some consistent production he's off the fantasy lineup radar. In five games thus far, Thornton has caught two of his five targets for 27 yards.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Healthy inactive once again
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Thornton (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London.
After playing just one snap in the Patriots' Week 5 loss to the Dolphins, Thornton now finds himself as a healthy inactive for the second week in a row. The 2022 second-round pick looks to have fallen out of favor in New England and may need the Patriots to lose another receiver to injury before he gets another opportunity to suit up for a game.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Inactive versus Houston
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Thornton is inactive for Sunday's game against the Texans, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Thornton and Javon Baker are healthy scratches for Sunday's contest. As a result, the Patriots' Week 6 WR corps will be comprised of Ja'Lynn Polk, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn and Kayshon Boutte.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Just one snap Sunday
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Thornton was one the field for only one of a possible 60 snaps on offense in Sunday's 15-10 loss to the Dolphins, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Though K.J. Osborn (shoulder) was inactive, Kendrick Bourne (knee) returned to action Sunday and Kayshon Boutte logged 40 snaps. With his playing time tapering off, Thornton is far from the fantasy radar, with Chris Mason of masslive.com suggesting that the 2022 second-rounder could be a trade candidate.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Held without a catch Thursday
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Thornton logged 17 of a possible 52 snaps on offense in Thursday's 24-3 loss to the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
In the process, Thornton did not catch his only target in the contest. With a 2-27-0 receiving line through three games, the 2022 second-rounder is off the fantasy radar while working as the Patriots' No. 4 WR behind DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn and Ja'Lynn Polk.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Two catches versus Bengals
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Thornton, who was on the field for 38 of 65 snaps on offense in the Patriots' 16-10 season-opening win over the Bengals on Sunday, caught two of his three targets for 27 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Thornton was in the Patriots' starting lineup along with DeMario Douglas (39 snaps) and K.J. Osborn (40 snaps), whilerookie second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk was also out there for 35 snaps in Week 1. Though Thornton appears to be carving out a steady role in the team's passing offense in 2024, he won't be a reliable fantasy lineup option until or unless he sees consistent looks from QB Jacoby Brissett, or 2024 third overall pick Drake Maye once he takes the reins.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Carving out role in third season
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Thornton, who Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site projects to make the team's 53-man roster, has been running with New England's top offense this summer.
Per Lazar, the 2022 second-rounder, who is playing at 192 pounds these days, looks more sturdy on the field with the added weight. Thornton struggled to stay healthy over his first two years as a pro, but he now has a chance to emerge as a field-stretcher in the Patriots offense. Whether such a role yields enough volume for him to make a fantasy impact remains to be seen, with DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn and Javon Baker also in the mix for targets in New England's re-tooled WR corps.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Nine snaps versus Philadelphia
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Thornton was on the field for nine snaps on offense in Thursday's 14-13 preseason loss to the Eagles.
Thornton didn't see any targets in his limited action versus Philadelphia, but he did line up with the starting offense for the second straight exhibition contest. He has a chance to parlay his speed into a role in a Patriots' wideout corps that could be without Kendrick Bourne (knee) early on, competing for snaps with DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, Javon Baker, Kayshon Boutte and Jalen Reagor.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Puts on muscle in offseason
Rotowire
Thornton now weighs 192 pounds, up from his listed weight of 185 pounds, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
The 2022 second-round pick is still quite thin for a wide receiver, but it's an improvement from the 2022 Combine, when he checked in at 6-foot-2, 181 pounds. The 4.28 speed he showcased at said combine hasn't gotten him far in the NFL, with Thornton now on the roster bubble after catching 35 passes in 22 games over his first two NFL seasons. He may end up competing for one spot with Jalen Reagor, a fellow speedster (and draft bust) who offers more potential to contribute on special teams.
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Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Role this season TBD
Rotowire
With the Patriots having selected two wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft, Thornton's standing on the team's depth chart is unclear ahead of training camp, per Chad Graff of the Athletic.
In his post-draft roster assessment, Graff suggests that Thornton, who is presumably past the ankle issue that sidelined him in the Patriots' 2023 regular-season finale, isn't a roster lock ahead of Week 1. Over the first two years of his pro career, the 2022 second-rounder has had trouble staying on the field and has been limited to 35 catches in 22 contests in that span. While Thornton's speed could help him stick around if he has a strong summer, for now he currently has Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Demario Douglas, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kayshon Boutte to contend with for depth chart slotting.
