FantasyPros Articles on Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas's WR43 finish, Lawrence's preference for other receivers, and tough early matchups make him a draft-day fade.

The source identifies Brian Thomas Jr. as a draft landmine and recommends fading him at his draft-day price. Thomas endured a disappointing, injury-affected sophomore season, finishing as WR43 overall and WR47 in fantasy points per game across 14 appearances. He averaged 8.2 half-PPR points on an 18% target share while producing 50.5 receiving yards per game, three total touchdowns, and only seven red-zone targets. Thomas never approached his electric rookie form, with setbacks following whenever he began positive performances. The source attributes his struggles to Trevor Lawrence as Jacksonville's quarterback: Thomas averaged six catches on 9.5 targets for 76.2 yards per game with Mac Jones in 2024, but across his other 21 games with Lawrence, those averages fell to 3.6 catches, 6.1 targets, and 58.4 receiving yards. Lawrence has worked better with tight ends and receivers such as Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington. In five games alongside Washington and Meyers last season, Thomas averaged only five targets and three receptions while ranking fourth in the target hierarchy behind those two receivers and tight end Brenton Strange (14% target share, 4.4 targets per game). Jacksonville's early schedule adds another concern: as the Jaguars' X receiver, Thomas could draw difficult matchups against cornerbacks such as Denzel Ward, Patrick Surtain, Christian Gonzalez, DJ Turner, Quinyon Mitchell, Derek Stingley, and Sauce Gardner during the first half of the season. The source suggests acquiring Thomas cheaply after a slow opening month rather than paying his draft-day price, and notes a trade away from Jacksonville before the end of 2026 could help his outlook.

Brian Thomas Jr.WR · JAXPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight