Who Should I Start? Brian Thomas Jr. or Makai Lemon

Friday, September 11, 8:57 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. took a major step backward in his second pro season last year, and he remains a very uncertain wide receiver for fantasy managers in 2026. Thomas went from ranking as the WR4 in 2024 to the WR44 in 2025. While he did miss three games last year, that brief absence doesn't account for the 45% reduction in receptions, 45% reduction in receiving yards, and 80% reduction in touchdowns from Year 1 to Year 2 in the NFL. More likely than not, we can blame his step backward on a mix of talent and surroundings. Not only did he look like a different, less dominant receiver last year, but he also faced more competition with Travis Hunter's arrival to the NFL, Parker Washington's breakout, and the Jaguars' midseason trade for Jakobi Meyers. Unfortunately for Thomas, those three receivers are back this year, and tight end Brenton Strange could also be on the brink of handling a larger target share. Thomas continues to be plagued by uncertainty in fantasy football, dropping him to the low-end WR3 tier for the time being.