Tyquan Thornton caught all four of his targets for 86 yards against Indianapolis in Week 2, which is exactly the kind of afternoon that gets a vertical receiver into fantasy lineups. The problem is what happened in the game before and after it, suggesting consistency concerns. Find out whether you should start or sit Tyquan Thornton in Week 4.
Tyquan Thornton Start or Sit Advice for Week 4
Thornton is doing one thing very well. He has 105 air yards on seven targets, an average of 15.0 per look, and 35.8% of Kansas City’s air yards belong to him despite his drawing only 7.7% of the targets. He has caught six of seven for 18.0 yards per reception without a drop. When Patrick Mahomes throws it deep, Thornton is the receiver running under it, and his profile credits him with the speed and ball tracking to keep doing so.
The offense is also humming. Kansas City averages 263.0 passing yards per game with Mahomes at a 108.9 rating and 29.3 points per game, and he has posted ratings of 114.0 and 119.8 the last two weeks. Mahomes carried a knee issue into Thursday’s practice but was a full participant again, so there is no concern there.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Tyquan Thornton in Week 4
The matchup shuts this down. Las Vegas has allowed only 23.2 PPR points per game to wide receivers, and the shape of it is a bigger problem than the total. The Raiders have conceded a 48.2% catch rate and zero touchdowns to the position in three games while generating 10 sacks and four interceptions. They have faced Miami, Los Angeles and New Orleans, offenses within 4% of league average, so this is close to an honest number rather than a schedule artifact.
A defense that forces incompletions and gets after the quarterback is the specific thing a low-volume vertical receiver cannot survive. Thornton needs two or three shots per game to connect, and 10 sacks means those shots sometimes never get thrown. His profile also lists press coverage and contested catches as weaknesses, which is what a 48.2% catch rate allowed tends to produce.
The volume is the other half of it. Thornton has drawn one, four and two targets across three weeks, and he is fourth in line behind Travis Kelce at 18 targets, Rashee Rice at 17 and Xavier Worthy at 15. He has zero red zone targets on the season while Rice and Worthy each have four, so there is no scoring path if the deep ball does not land. His three YAC on the year confirm this is all or nothing.
Fantasy Outlook for Tyquan Thornton in Week 4
Sit Thornton in Week 4. His weekly scores read 0.0, 12.6 and 4.2, which is the honest picture of a receiver whose production depends entirely on whether one long throw finds him. Two targets per game against a secondary allowing under half its targets to be caught is not a lineup decision worth making.
The reason to keep tracking him is that the big weeks are coming eventually. Mahomes throws deep, Thornton is the guy who runs those routes, and a game against a defense that gives up chunk plays will produce a line worth having. This is not that week. The Raiders have not allowed a wide receiver touchdown yet, and asking Thornton to be the first with two targets is wishful. Look for a receiver with volume instead.
Find more Week 4 fantasy football start/sit coverage here!