Brian Thomas Jr.'s Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was named one of the starters ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Unsurprisingly, Thomas has been named as a starter after the Jaguars selected him in the first round of this year's draft. Thomas had a breakout season during final year at LSU where he recorded 1,177 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. There was little doubt that Thomas wouldn't be a starter given Parker Washington and Devin Duvernay were his main competition. Now, Thomas will have to fight for targets with Christian Kirk and newcomer Gabe Davis. The expectation is that Thomas is going to see a solid volume of targets making him worth snagging in just about every fantasy format. The rookie wideout could end up being the best receiving option on the team before the season is done.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was the fourth wideout off the draft board this past April. Thomas was a four-star recruit going into college and put together a high-quality resume at LSU in three seasons. According to many scouts and outlets, Thomas was the fourth-ranked receiver after the "big three," but he stepped into one of the better situations. Calvin Ridley moved to Tennessee, Christian Kirk has been dealing with a calf issue during the preseason, and Gabe Davis seems to be Thomas' main competition for more snaps and targets. Thomas displayed all the necessary tools to be a very good contributor, especially after impressing a lot of the coaching staff during training camp and preseason. Right now, in half-PPR formats, Thomas is ranked 96th overall on RotoBaller's draft rankings. He has a clear path to playing time and could be a bench stash to eventually win leagues.

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 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.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie first-round wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. stood out while working out of the slot in Thursday's joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and continues to receive praise from the coaching staff. "He continues to grow, and just he and Trevor Lawrence keep talking and working. That's what's going to take, you're not going to be a finished product right away, but if he continues to improve and just learn with the offense, grow with the offense. But he's been doing a really good job," head coach Doug Pederson said. On his only catch in his NFL debut last weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 21-year-old caught a 41-yard pass from C.J. Beathard. Although the Jaguars added Gabe Davis in the offseason, Thomas, the 23rd overall pick in the draft, has the chance to push for the WR2 role in Jacksonville and is worth a late-round flier as a WR4/flex heading into his first year in the NFL.