Who Should I Start? Jauan Jennings or Brian Thomas Jr.

Wednesday, January 21, 3:41 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch had nothing but good things to say about wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and the team is interested in re-signing him after he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March. "Always plays with passion we can count on. We can move him around the way he blocks. He plays the right way. It frustrated other people. We'd love to have him back. We'll work to get that accomplished," Lynch said. Jennings caught just two passes for 23 yards in the Divisional Round loss to the Seattle Seahawks and didn't score in any of his final three games, but he was a big contributor in the regular season, especially when tight end George Kittle and receiver Ricky Pearsall missed time with injuries. The 28-year-old caught 55 of 90 targets for 643 yards and a career-high nine TDs in 15 regular-season games. If Jennings returns in 2026, he'll be a trusted target for quarterback Brock Purdy.

Saturday, January 31, 5:22 AM

After topping 1,200 receiving yards and recording 10 touchdown catches as a rookie in 2024, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was expected to fully emerge as an elite player at his position in 2025. However, the 23-year-old battled through both injury and underperformance this past season, recording just 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. As the season progressed, Thomas Jr. appeared to fall behind Jaguars wideouts Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington on the team's pass-catching pecking order. Including the postseason, Thomas Jr. recorded fewer than five receptions in each of his final nine games of the year. Heading into 2026, the Jaguars' wide receiver depth chart will get even more crowded by wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's (knee) return from injury. Thomas Jr. could re-emerge as the lead wideout in Jacksonville in 2026. However, his stock in both redraft and dynasty fantasy formats has taken a hit after his disappointing 2025 campaign.