Who Should I Start? Brian Thomas Jr. or Brady Cook

Sunday, December 21, 9:46 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been playing at a higher level lately, catching seven passes for 153 yards and a touchdown over his last two games. He also has 284 air yards during that span, which ranks third-best among NFL receivers. This week, he'll face off against a Denver Broncos secondary that presents him with a range of outcomes. On one hand, if Thomas is covered by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, his upside could be limited, and he'd have a lower floor. On the other hand, Surtain could take Jakobi Meyers, leaving Riley Moss to cover Thomas. Moss has been tough in the red zone this year, but he's given up plenty of yardage, so if he's covering Thomas, the former first-round pick would instantly become a fringe top-18 fantasy receiver. All in all, Denver has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.

Monday, December 22, 10:59 AM

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that Brady Cook will remain the team's starting quarterback, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Cook has started each of New York's last two games after taking over for veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the middle of the Jets' Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. An undrafted rookie out of the University of Missouri, Cook has struggled in his first taste of NFL action. Across three games (two starts), he's completed 59.2% of his pass attempts for 527 yards, one touchdown, and six interceptions. However, there's little incentive at this point in the season for the 3-12 Jets to do anything but attempt to improve their 2026 draft pick, which may be the reason why Glenn is sticking with Cook under center. Heading into a difficult Week 17 matchup against the New England Patriots, fantasy managers should avoid Cook and may want to move away from Jets running back Breece Hall as well.