Three weeks into the NFL season, it may be time to start looking into fantasy football trades.
Whether you’re 0-3 and looking for a shot in the arm, or you’re 3-0 and trying to prey on the desperate teams, there is a large enough sample size to start some serious conversations about how to move forward. Injuries have left plenty of managers short-handed, as have disappointing starts from some notable stars.
Fantasy football trades are always tough to get across the finish line, so it could take a while for a deal to come together. Before Week 4 gets underway, it’s time to take stock of where certain players of note stand — like A.J. Brown and Drake London. DraftKings is here to break down who could be worth moving, namely Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Brian Thomas Jr. Fantasy Value
Despite being a first round pick in 2024, Thomas was still an under-the-radar fantasy option heading into his rookie year. He proceeded to blow up, finishing the season with 87 catches, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns on 133 targets. Those numbers helped BTJ finish fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, on top of earning him a Pro Bowl nod.
Thomas was far from a sleeper heading into 2025, becoming a consensus top-10 receiver before the season began. In some leagues, he was even a first-round pick.
The 22-year-old caught just one of his seven targets in Week 1, and it only went for 11 yards. Thomas was able to find paydirt on a nine-yard rushing touchdown, but that was the best he would get all day. Thomas saw his targets climb to 12 in Week 2, only to finish with 49 yards on four catches. In Week 3, Thomas had two catches for 55 yards, again failing to find the end zone.
To this point in the season, Thomas has a total of 25.4 PPR fantasy points. While he hasn’t finished with fewer than 7.5, he has yet to go beyond 9.0 either.
Should I trade Brian Thomas Jr.?
Selling Thomas at anything other than a major discount could prove tough, since he doesn’t have the most extensive track record. The sophomore slump is pervasive, after all, and other fantasy owners might see Thomas as the latest to fall victim to the trend. His upcoming games against the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks – all of whom are above-average against fantasy wideouts – will likely scare teams off, too, unless they are comfortable stashing him on their bench. And if they are trading for Thomas just to bench him, the return package probably won’t be very attractive.
So instead of selling low, hang onto Thomas. He is barely performing at a FLEX level for the moment, but he has WR1 potential in his future. The underlying numbers are there, with Thomas racking up 25 targets in three games. He also ranks 13th among wide receivers in expected fantasy points, per ESPN.
Through the first three games of 2024, Thomas had 11 touches, 189 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. So far in 2025, he has eight touches, 124 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. In his final 13 games last season, Thomas had 76 catches, 1,093 yards and 10 touchdowns on 116 targets. That is all to say that a slow start doesn’t rule out a full-on eruption from Thomas moving forward.
Even taking Trevor Lawrence’s career-low completion percentage and passer rating into account, Jacksonville has been competitive in all three games this season and now has an offensive-minded head coach in Liam Coen. Add Thomas’ production from 2024 to Coen’s ability to utilize Mike Evans with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, and it’s clear that the young wideout still has a high ceiling.
What trade package could Brian Thomas Jr. fetch?
Right now, it’s hard to imagine many fantasy owners will be willing to part ways with enough assets to make a Thomas trade feel worth it, given the draft capital it took the get him in the first place.
Taking the sunk cost fallacy out of the equation, Thomas is being pegged as a fringe top-30 fantasy option for the rest of the season. In terms of trade value, he would likely be viewed as closer to top-40.
So if you are really desperate to get out of the BTJ business, keep in mind he is probably going to be placed on the same tier as Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers, Courtland Sutton or DK Metcalf for the time being. It may be difficult to get one of those receivers, plus some additional depth, without offering more on your end. The other route could be trying to get Ricky Pearsall or Michael Pittman Jr. and running back like Quinshon Judkins or Jordan Mason in exchange for Thomas and a bench piece.
If those seems worth it to you in the short term, then by all means, pull the trigger. Just know that Thomas is still likely to be better than any of those players in the second half of the season.
