Who Should I Start? Trey McBride or Brian Thomas Jr.

Sunday, December 28, 8:14 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride caught 10 of his 13 targets for 76 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. McBride continues to be the top-scoring tight end in fantasy football this season, and he widened the gap between himself and the rest of the tight end position on Sunday afternoon. Along the way, he also set a new NFL record for most catches by a tight end in a single season. It's safe to say that McBride is the best and most dependable tight end in the league. He should continue to be deployed as a high-end TE1 in a pass-heavy game approach against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. He also figures to be the first tight end off the board (and a potential first-round pick) in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

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.