Who Should I Start? Ja'Marr Chase or Brian Thomas Jr.

Thursday, July 17, 8:29 AM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase told CBS Sports this week that he expects the NFL to see its first 2,000-yard receiving season in the next three years. He continued to say that he thinks it will be either him or Justin Jefferson who accomplishes the feat. That being said, a reverse of fortune in Cincinnati is likely more important to the young receiver as the Bengals have missed the playoffs for two straight seasons. While the team's offense has been elite, the defensive side of the ball has been an issue of late. Chase stated, "The defense is going to have to step up...and make some stops." He went on to say, "That's all we ask them to do." The team added a new defensive coordinator, hiring Al Golden after letting long-time DC Lou Anarumo go following the 2024 season. From a fantasy perspective, Chase remains a locked-in WR1 in any format regardless of the state of the Cincy defense.

Tuesday, July 15, 6:05 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. burst onto the NFL scene last year after being taken with the No. 23 overall pick out of LSU. Even on a bad team with spotty quarterback play, Thomas managed to catch 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts). The Athletic's Jeff Howe thinks that if the Trevor Lawrence-Liam Coen pairing works out the way it's envisioned, Thomas could be even better. Rookie first-round wideout Travis Hunter will be on the other side of the field drawing attention away from Thomas, too. It's not a stretch to think that Thomas could become a household name in his sophomore season in 2025, which is why RotoBaller has him ranked as a top-10 fantasy pass-catcher. The 22-year-old had si straight games with at least 10 targets and 76 yards a year ago.