Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Brian Thomas Jr.

Sunday, December 21, 9:30 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in five catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in his team's Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Evans has now hauled in 11 receptions for 163 yards across two games since returning from a collarbone injury that sidelined him from Week 8 through Week 14. While injuries have held down the 32-year-old's season-long numbers in 2025, he remains an effective player when he's on the field. Across six games this season, Evans has recorded 25 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns on 53 targets. He looks like the clear-cut number one option in the passing game for Tampa Bay down the stretch of the season, as Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has targeted Evans on 35% of his pass attempts for the last two weeks. Tampa Bay will travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins in Week 17.

Sunday, December 21, 9:46 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been playing at a higher level lately, catching seven passes for 153 yards and a touchdown over his last two games. He also has 284 air yards during that span, which ranks third-best among NFL receivers. This week, he'll face off against a Denver Broncos secondary that presents him with a range of outcomes. On one hand, if Thomas is covered by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, his upside could be limited, and he'd have a lower floor. On the other hand, Surtain could take Jakobi Meyers, leaving Riley Moss to cover Thomas. Moss has been tough in the red zone this year, but he's given up plenty of yardage, so if he's covering Thomas, the former first-round pick would instantly become a fringe top-18 fantasy receiver. All in all, Denver has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.