Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Brian Thomas Jr.

Thursday, January 29, 9:39 PM

In his first year with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, wide receiver George Pickens had a career year, catching 93 of his 137 targets for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games in his fourth year in the NFL. It earned the 24-year-old former second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 his first Pro Bowl nod. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua had more receiving yards than Pickens, and his 93 receptions ranked sixth among all wideouts. Despite CeeDee Lamb's presence, Pickens was Dallas' leading receiver and had the eighth-most targets among all WRs in the NFL. Because of the big year he had for the Cowboys, they will almost certainly keep him around in 2026, via either a long-term extension or franchise tag. Pickens always had high-end talent, but the move to Dallas with quarterback Dak Prescott and a pass-happy offense was the perfect fit. Another big year could be in store in 2026.

Wednesday, January 14, 1:20 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was a big disappointment to his fantasy managers in his second season in the NFL after he came out guns blazing in his rookie campaign with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns on 133 targets in 17 games. This year, Thomas took a step back with 48 catches on 91 targets for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. "When you are part of a team that wins, the wealth will be shared. It will never truly be about one player. I will continue to pour into these guys... BT will 100% be a part of that," head coach Liam Coen said when asked about Thomas' future. The 23-year-old is going to remain involved in the Jags' passing attack, but the addition of Jakobi Meyers in 2025 really hurt his upside. Although Travis Hunter could play more defense in 2026, his presence will also be an obstacle to Thomas trying to rediscover his rookie form.