The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to have found a potential replacement for Calvin Ridley through the draft, taking LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the No. 23 pick. The Jaguars traded down but still were able to land who many feel is the fourth-best receiver in the class. Here’s how to approach Thomas Jr. in fantasy football circles with this move.
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. fantasy football outlook
The Jaguars are going to throw the ball a lot with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. There’s a good amount of target share available with Ridley gone, even though Gabe Davis will come in and take some of that usage. There’s no clear WR1 in this offense, which means Thomas Jr. has an opportunity to carve out a big role for himself. He’s used to playing with big-time receivers running alongside Malik Nabers, so being asked to make this offense explosive is nothing new to him.
Brian Thomas’ supporting cast
Lawrence, Davis and Christian Kirk will be a big part of this offense, along with Travis Etienne Jr. We’ll see how much usage Thomas Jr. ends up commanding but there’s a real chance he ends up being the top target for Lawrence by the end of the season.
Where should Brian Thomas rank among WRs in fantasy football?
This is a situation where any of the receivers can break out. Davis seems least likely to do so given his role in Buffalo, while Kirk is likely to get the most targets but might not do much after the catch. Thomas Jr. has the explosiveness to really make a difference right away in this offense, but maybe there’s a bit of a rookie wall early. I think he can become a WR2 by the end of the season but for now I think he’s safely in WR3 territory.