Who Should I Start? Jerry Jeudy or Brian Thomas Jr.

Monday, February 9, 6:28 PM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had an underwhelming season despite operating as the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart. Jeudy ultimately caught passes from a mix of quarterbacks, including Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. None of those signal-callers played particularly well, and as a result, he was held to just 50 catches, 602 yards, and two touchdowns. These were his lowest marks since 2021, when he only played 10 games. The 26-year-old is a talented receiver, and the fact that he's under contract for two more seasons indicates that he'll remain with Cleveland in 2026. However, he hasn't necessarily put last year's adversity behind him. The Browns' quarterback plans remain uninspiring, and Jeudy will continue to face competition from the likes of Cedric Tillman and Harold Fannin Jr. As a result, managers shouldn't count on Jeudy to be a top-36 receiver ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.

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.