Jacksonville Jaguars DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught one pass for a team-high 38 yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason win against the Atlanta Falcons. The LSU product hasn't touched the ball much this preseason, but he's made big plays when he has. BTJ's speed should get him on the field early on, with his main competition for playing time being Gabe Davis, who was signed this offseason from Buffalo. Typically, rookies become valuable in fantasy as they improve later in the season. Given the first-round WR's draft capital and path to playing time, he could easily fall into that category and become a league winner down the stretch. With an ADP of 128, fantasy managers who believes in the talent should take a shot on Thomas as a bench stash.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne put up 46 rushing yards on seven carries and three yards on one catch in a 31-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and his longest run of Friday's game was 19 yards. The third-year running back looked explosive on the ground against Atlanta's defensive backups and will be a bell-cow once again this season. Etienne currently goes at RB10 and 22nd overall on Yahoo, which feels a little low given his potential volume. He finished as the RB3 last season but was inconsistent down the stretch. However, with a revamped offense and improved offensive line, fantasy managers shouldn't worry about the former Clemson back as a second-round pick with a first-round upside. Managers looking for a running back in the second round should feel good about picking Etienne.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed eight of 10 passes for 92 yards and two touchdown passes to Evan Engram in a 31-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons. He also added a nine-yard rush. Lawrence made the most of his two drives against Atlanta's defensive backups, leading nine-play, 92-yard, and 13-play, 62-yard touchdown drives. While the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley this past offseason, Lawrence's chemistry with Engram, Christian Kirk, and Travis Etienne out of the backfield should help the offense remain solid. The former No. 1 overall pick currently goes off the board 16th among QBs on Yahoo, just after rookie QBs Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. Lawrence has the combination of great arm talent, solid rushing ability, and past fantasy success to finish as a top-12 QB. He is an intriguing upside option for fantasy managers waiting on quarterback.

With the recent trading of former teammate Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown has been catapulted into the team's starting lineup. He now sits No. 2 behind Terry McLaurin on Washington's depth chart. Brown has looked solid this preseason and will have a chance to earn more consistent targets in his new starting role. The former Tarheel has garnered a 91.1 grade from PFF for his play this August and now has five catches (two contested) on six targets for 74 yards and a 118.1 rating when targeted. While the 24-year-old has totaled just 29 receptions over his first three seasons as a pro, he stands an excellent shot to provide some value in fantasy drafts this season in a wide-open Washington wide receiver room. Brown is currently Yahoo!'s WR409, though that is expected to change over the next few weeks.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor is enthusiastic about rookie first-round wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.'s progress, stating, "You can see his development and the player he's becoming. He's already showing more than we saw before, and he's still far from reaching his peak, even two weeks or 18 weeks from now." This is promising news, especially given earlier reports that Thomas was lagging in camp. The Jaguars traded down from No. 17 to No. 23 in the 2024 NFL draft to select Thomas, making him the fourth receiver off the board and initiating a receiver surge in the final 10 picks of the first round. Thomas had a standout college career, catching 28 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, followed by 31 catches for 361 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, and then a breakout 2023 season with 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. While Thomas may not be the safest weekly option compared to others, he's a strong pick if you're looking for a potential WR4 or WR5 to develop into a significant contributor later in the season.