Brian Thomas Jr. Fantasy Hub: Week 18 Injury Update, Start/Sit Advice, Projections, and More

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Is Brian Thomas Jr. Playing in Week 18?

Thomas is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.

We’ll continue to monitor the Jaguars’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit Brian Thomas Jr. in Week 18?

Since 2020, three times has a rookie receiver posted consecutive games with 85 receiving yards and a touchdown catch:

• Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021)
• Brian Thomas Jr. (Weeks 15-17)
• Brian Thomas Jr. (Weeks 4-5)

BTJ is the only receiver in NFL history with two such streaks as a rookie. If he can post a fourth straight game in Week 18, he’ll join Randy Moss (1998), St. Brown (2021), and Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) as the only players to accomplish that feat.

This kid is special, and we are seeing signs of it, even though it’s a mess of a season in Jacksonville. He burned these Colts for an 85-yard score in Week 5, and while Trevor Lawrence got him that pass, it’s not as if Lawrence was playing at a high level.

The only reservations you should have here should center around Mac Jones — that is plenty reasonable. I mean, the man is 2-of-21 on passes thrown over 20 yards downfield. I get it.

That said, the risk is worth it. Thomas is a rare talent, and the Colts’ run defense has actually been strong for the most part after an awful start to the season. I think we get 8-10 targets here, and that’s enough usage to justify the quality of throw concerns in Jacksonville.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

Brian Thomas’ Jr. Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18

As of Sunday, Thomas is projected to score 19 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.8 receptions for 112.7 yards and 0.6 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

Brian Thomas’ Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25. 

Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings

1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)