Thomas was a star rookie in 2024, and he will look to build off that performance this season. He's worth drafting as a top-10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues as early as Round 1, and it would be a surprise if he's not a top-15 overall pick. Last year, Thomas was a star with 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns on 133 targets, and he averaged 16.7 PPR points per game. He closed the season on a tear with at least 17.3 PPR points in five of his final six games, including three outings with at least 23.9 PPR points over that span. During that six-game stretch, Thomas had at least 10 targets and 76 yards in each game while averaging 7.5 receptions for 99.8 yards and 0.83 touchdowns. We hope he will pick up where last season ended, but there are some changes to note. Thomas did that damage in those six games without Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), who is healthy now. Liam Coen is now the head coach in Jacksonville, but that should be a plus for Thomas. And the Jaguars lost Evan Engram and Christian Kirk, but they added a star rookie in Travis Hunter and another receiver in Dyami Brown. Given what Thomas did in his rookie campaign, he has the potential to be a Fantasy star in 2025 -- and for many years to come. He has top-five upside, and you should be excited to draft Thomas toward the end of Round 1 or the beginning of Round 2 in all leagues.
Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Four targets in two possessions
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Thomas caught two of four targets for eight yards in Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against the Saints. He also rushed once for two yards.
Thomas played two drives and worked as the top target for Trevor Lawrence over that span, especially in the absence of rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter (upper body). Expectations for Thomas are sky high after a 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie regular season. The Jaguars will wrap up preseason play with a trip to Miami on Saturday.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Plays briefly in preseason opener
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Thomas recorded one reception on two targets for eight yards in Saturday's 31-25 preseason loss to the Steelers.
Like most of Jacksonville's top skill-position players, Thomas played on the first offensive possession before sitting out the rest of the game. He accounted for Trevor Lawrence's first completion of the game, though his most noteworthy moment of the contest came four plays later, when he was hit hard by Juan Thornhill while trying to make a catch. Thomas came away unscathed, and it remains to be seen if he'll suit up for any additional preseason contests.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Back at practice Thursday
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Thomas (illness) returned to practice Thursday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas missed Wednesday's session due to an illness but was back one day later, giving him an opportunity to log some practice reps ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Steelers. Per Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville, coach Liam Coen indicated Thursday that he has no plans for any of his healthy players to sit out the contest, but it remains to be seen how much action key players such as Thomas will see this weekend.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Dealing with illness
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Thomas will miss Wednesday's practice due to an illness and is considered day-to-day, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.
The illness is likely a non-concern for the regular season but could impact Thomas' availability Saturday if the Jaguars decide to use key players in their preseason opener against Pittsburgh. This is the first report of Thomas missing any time during training camp.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Returns to practice
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Thomas (shoulder) was a full practice participant Thursday, SI.com's John Shipley reports.
He returned for the final offseason practice after exiting early a day before. With the shoulder injury confirmed to minor, Thomas should be a full go for the start of training camp, where he'll look to build on a phenomenal rookie season in which he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 TDs on 133 targets. The Jaguars have a new coaching staff, led by Liam Coen, and a new-look WR room with Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown replacing Christian Kirk (Texans) and Gabe Davis (free agent).
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Locked in as focal point
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New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said the team's passing game will run through Thomas, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
That much is clear; the real question is who else will catch passes from Trevor Lawrence on a regular basis. WR Christian Kirk (collarbone) and TE Evan Engram (shoulder) both are entering contract years without any guaranteed money remaining on their contracts, and WR Gabe Davis (knee) is coming off a disappointing season that ended early due to a meniscus tear. Thomas may be at the level already where competition doesn't really matter and teammates are competing with each other for targets rather than him. He closed 2024 with one of the most productive stretches ever seen from a rookie wide receiver while catching passes from backup QB Mac Jones, posting six straight games with at least 10 targets and 76 yards while averaging 7.5 receptions for 99.8 yards and 0.83 TDs. Similar output over the course of a full season is unlikely even for a player with Thomas' rare combination of size, speed and agility, but it isn't entirely out of the question under Coen, whose lone year as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator coincided with the top PPR scoring average of Chris Godwin's career (19.7 per game) as well as Mike Evans' best average (17.2) since 2019.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.: Top DFS Play
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At wide receiver this week we don't have Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, or Nico Collins available in DFS. Thankfully, we have the guy who has outscored all of them the past two weeks in Brian Thomas. Thomas has 19 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games as he makes his push for OROY. He has four straight games with double-digit targets including 12 the last time he faced Tennessee.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Tops 1,000 receiving yards
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Thomas recorded nine receptions on 13 targets for 132 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-14 loss to the Raiders.
Thomas continued to see excellent volume with Mac Jones under center, with Sunday's performance marking his fourth straight with double-digit targets. He also continued to deliver splash plays, the highlight being a 62-yard catch and run into the end zone late in the third quarter. Thomas now has at least 76 receiving yards in all four games since Jacksonville's Week 12 bye while finding the end zone a total of four times. The performance also put him over 1,000 yards for the campaign.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.: WRs to Start
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It would be more ideal for Thomas if Trevor Lawrence (concussion) was starting for the Jaguars, but Mac Jones has been good for Thomas in the past two games. Against Detroit and Houston, Thomas has combined for nine catches, 158 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets, and he scored at least 13.6 PPR points in each outing. Four receivers have scored at least 14.1 PPR points against Tennessee in the past three games, so Thomas is worth starting as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. I also like Parker Washington as a sleeper, and he just had six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in Week 13 against Houston.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.: Sleeper WRs
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Thomas gets Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) back for Week 13 against Houston, and that's fantastic news. It was good to see Thomas score 13.6 PPR points in Week 11 at Detroit with Mac Jones at quarterback, but Thomas' ceiling is much higher with Lawrence. And Thomas scored at least 15.0 PPR points in two of his past three games with Lawrence. With Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk both out for the Jaguars, Thomas could see a spike in targets. And Houston is No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers heading into Week 13.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Remains limited in practice
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Thomas (chest) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Since suffering a chest contusion in the Jaguars' Week 8 loss to the Packers, Thomas has been listed as a limited participant in eight consecutive practices. He hasn't missed any game action because of the injury, playing 90 percent of snaps in a Week 9 loss to the Eagles and 86 percent of snaps in a Week 10 loss to the Vikings. However, Thomas has been limited to a 4-36-0 receiving line on seven targets between those contests, and assuming he's cleared to play again this Sunday against the Lions, he'll profile as a risky option in fantasy lineups. With Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) already ruled out for the Week 11 game, Mac Jones will make a second straight start at quarterback, coming off an ugly outing against the Vikings in which he threw for just 111 yards on 22 attempts while committing three turnovers.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.: WRs to Sit
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Thomas has scored 6.2 PPR points or less in each of his past two games against the Eagles and Vikings, and his game against Minnesota was troubling because Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) was out. Lawrence isn't playing in Week 11 at Detroit, and I'm nervous to start Thomas with Mac Jones under center again. Against the Vikings, Thomas had two catches for 12 yards on three targets from Jones. I would only start Thomas in three-receiver leagues in Week 11.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Remains limited Thursday
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Thomas (chest) remained limited in practice Thursday.
Thomas also was limited Wednesday, so he'll presumably need to practice fully Friday in order to approach Sunday's game against the Vikings without an injury designation. While playing through his chest issue in a Week 9 loss to the Eagles, Thomas was on the field for 91 percent of the Jaguars' snaps on offense en route to catching two of his four targets for 22 yards. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Thomas heads into the weekend with an injury designation, but assuming his availability, a bounceback could be in store for the 2024 first-rounder versus Minnesota, considering the steady role he maintains in his team's passing attack.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.: WRs to Start
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Thomas struggled in Week 9 at Philadelphia with two catches for 22 yards on four targets and a two-point conversion, and his 6.2 PPR points was the second-worst total of the season. I expect him to rebound this week against the Vikings, who are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and I also like Parker Washington as a sleeper. There have been 13 receivers to score at least 12 PPR points against Minnesota this season, including nine with at least 16.1 PPR points. Thomas has top-15 upside in all leagues, and Washington is a good streaming option in three-receiver leagues.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Quiet game Sunday
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Thomas had two receptions (four targets) for 22 yards in Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Eagles.
Thomas saw his production take a hit in Week 9 following a pair of outings with 60-plus yards and a touchdown in each. The 2024 first-round selection has still been a strong fantasy asset with 35 receptions, 595 yards and five touchdowns through nine contests this season. Thomas will look to resume his scoring ways in next Sunday's matchup against Minnesota.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Active as expected in Week 9
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Thomas (chest) is active for Sunday's Week 9 game against the Eagles.
The star rookie practiced in a limited fashion all week and was believed to be trending toward active status, which now is official. Thomas will have a chance to enjoy his largest target opportunity share yet, considering Christian Kirk (IR, collarbone) and Gabe Davis (inactive, shoulder) are unavailable and Jacksonville could well have to eventually adopt a pass-heavy approach in a game in which it's a significant road underdog.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Called day-to-day by coach
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Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Thomas is day-to-day after he was diagnosed with a chest contusion following an MRI, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas was initially reported to be in danger of missing 2-to-4 weeks by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, but MRI results now revealed that the rookie first-round pick may have avoided a more severe injury. That's one piece of crucial good news for Jacksonville's receiver corps, after Christian Kick (collarbone) was diagnosed with a season-ending fracture and No. 3 wideout Gabe Davis (shoulder) also was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Packers early. Pederson said Thomas may have a chance to suit up Week 9 against the Eagles. More information on Thomas' health will arrive when the Jaguars take the practice field Wednesday in preparation for Week 9 action.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Could miss 2-to-4 weeks
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Thomas (chest) is in danger of missing 2-to-4 weeks due to a chest injury sustained during Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Packers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas is slated for further scans Monday, which will reveal the full severity of his injury, but it looks like the standout rookie is trending toward sitting out at least Week 9 against the Eagles and Week 11 versus the Vikings. With Christian Kirk (collarbone) out for the season due to a fracture sustained Sunday and Gabe Davis (shoulder) also having logged an early exit versus Green Bay, Thomas' injury comes at a particular brutal time for Jacksonville's pass-catching corps. Parker Washington and Tim Jones are the only healthy wide receivers on the Jaguars' active roster, leaving tight end Evan Engram in probable position to operate as Trevor Lawrence's top target.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Headed for MRI
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Thomas (chest) will undergo an MRI on his ribs Monday as the Jaguars look to determine his status for their Week 9 game against the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The standout rookie played only 29 snaps in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Packers before exiting in the second half with what the Jaguars termed a chest injury, finishing with three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Thomas will get checked for a potential rib fracture Monday, putting his availability for Week 9's contest in jeopardy. The 22-year-old was one of three Jaguars receivers to suffer injuries in the contest, as Christian Kirk (collarbone) and Gabe Davis (shoulder) also made early exits.
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Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Leaves Sunday's game
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Thomas exited Sunday's game against the Packers after sustaining a chest injury.
Prior to leaving the game, Thomas caught three of his four targets for 60 yards and a TD. With Gabe Davis dealing with a shoulder issue, Christian Kirk, Parker Washington and Tim Jones are available to handle the Jaguars' WR duties against Green Bay.
