Who Should I Start? Jaylen Waddle or Brian Thomas Jr.

Sunday, January 4, 3:46 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ribs) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New England Patriots. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity. This Quinn Ewers-led offense finds itself incredibly short-handed with Waddle, De'Von Achane (shoulder), Darren Waller (groin, IR), and Tyreek Hill (knee, IR) all sidelined. Malik Washington, Cedrick Wilson, and late-season breakout Theo Wease Jr. should step up as Ewers' top targets in the passing game on Sunday. Those receivers will look to outduel a Patriots defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest yards to opposing wide receivers in 2025.

Monday, January 5, 10:46 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a disappointing year relative to preseason expectations in 2025, recording 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. Down the stretch of the regular season, Thomas Jr. appeared to slide down the pass-catcher pecking order in Jacksonville. The 23-year-old recorded just nine catches for 106 yards and zero touchdowns on 15 targets over his final three contests. Thomas Jr. also played fewer than 80% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps in five out of his team's six final games. The Jaguars are now set to face the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Buffalo allowed the fewest passing yards (2,894) of any defense in the NFL. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues may find Thomas Jr. tough to trust given his difficult matchup and diminished role in Jacksonville.