Can Brian Thomas Jr. Take Another Step for Fantasy Football in 2025?

One of the most exciting yet difficult things to navigate in fantasy football?

Rookies.

Every year a new crop of talented players are available on draft boards. Some become league-winners, others become busts. Brian Thomas Jr. was a tried and true league winner in 2024.

The LSU alum was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the third wide receiver to be selected in his class. Not only did he outdo every one of his positional peers in his draft class, he upstaged a lion's share of wide receivers around the league.

Suffice to say BTJ has plenty of hype attached to him in fantasy football drafts this season. Can he take another step this year? Where should you draft Thomas? Let's investigate.

Brian Thomas Jr. 2024 Season

Coming into his rookie season, Thomas carried an ADP of WR46 at pick 109, per FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) data.

He ended up going scorched earth to the tune of 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his debut. Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson were the only wideouts to outdo him from a yardage standpoint while his 10 touchdowns were good for the sixth-most (tied) at his position.

Those blazing numbers earned him an astonishing WR4 finish in fantasy, trailing only Chase, Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Perhaps most stunning? Thomas managed to put up huge numbers despite losing his starting quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) for seven games and being bogged down by a 22nd-ranked Jacksonville pass offense.

That said, Thomas did have his biggest games with the since-departed Mac Jones under center and he dealt with little competition in the receiving room. Both Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis never played past Week 11. As a result, Thomas was afforded double-digit targets in the remaining six contests, averaging a gaudy 11.7 targets in that span.

Jacksonville has undergone some big changes this offseason, which figure to both hurt and help Thomas in fantasy. With that, let's check out Thomas' fantasy football outlook for Year 2.

Brian Thomas Jr. 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Thomas had his biggest games of 2024 with Mac Jones under center and Doug Pederson calling the plays. Neither of those guys will be around this season, which does leave Thomas' outlook partially up in the air.

However, not all change is bad change. Lawrence tossed for 4,000-plus yards and 20-plus touchdowns in 2022 and 2023, helping sustain a WR11 finish from Kirk in the former year. He's a prime candidate to bounce back after a disappointing and injury-riddled 2025 campaign, and new head coach Liam Coen could help get him there.

The Jags parted ways with Kirk, Davis, and Evan Engram this offseason but added Dyami Brown and selected Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. With Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby in the backfield, this Jacksonville offense has an intriguing ceiling compared to last year. So, while Thomas likely scored more touchdowns than he should have last season, he could make up for possible regression thanks to being involved in a more efficient offense.

Even with the rookie Hunter in the fold, Thomas is in line for gaudy target shares once again due to the departures of Kirk, Davis, and Engram, and Coen has expressed confidence that the offense can run through BTJ in 2025.

Currently, Thomas carries an ADP of WR8 at pick 14 overall in 2025 fantasy football drafts. Is he worth taking in the middle of the second round? FantasyPros' projections are high on him. They forecast Thomas to finish as the WR7 this season -- only 0.6 half-PPR points behind the WR6 (Malik Nabers) -- even in the face of touchdown regression (8.2).

Thomas' ADP has leapfrogged since a season ago, so it'd be impossible to request a similar return on investment this go around. That said, BTJ is in line for another huge fantasy season and has an intriguing ceiling on this new-look Jags offense.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.