Who Should I Start? Amon-Ra St. Brown or Brian Thomas Jr.

Sunday, January 4, 10:00 PM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ended his 2025 season the right way, recording 11 receptions for 139 yards on 15 targets in Detroit's 19-16 Week 18 win over the Chicago Bears. St. Brown entered Sunday questionable to play due to lingering knee and ankle injuries, but he was ultimately able to suit up. Across 17 games played in 2025, the 26-year-old recorded 117 receptions for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns on 172 targets. St. Brown has recorded at least 106 catches in four consecutive seasons and double-digit touchdowns in three straight campaigns. He's been named to four straight Pro Bowls and could have a chance at his third consecutive All-Pro selection for his work in 2025. As long as St. Brown makes it through the offseason healthy, he will likely be one of the first wide receivers off the board in fantasy drafts heading into the 2026 season.

Monday, January 5, 10:46 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a disappointing year relative to preseason expectations in 2025, recording 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. Down the stretch of the regular season, Thomas Jr. appeared to slide down the pass-catcher pecking order in Jacksonville. The 23-year-old recorded just nine catches for 106 yards and zero touchdowns on 15 targets over his final three contests. Thomas Jr. also played fewer than 80% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps in five out of his team's six final games. The Jaguars are now set to face the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Buffalo allowed the fewest passing yards (2,894) of any defense in the NFL. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues may find Thomas Jr. tough to trust given his difficult matchup and diminished role in Jacksonville.