The Jacksonville Jaguars had high hopes heading into the season. However, we entered Week 3 with the team playing with a 0-2 record. The Jaguars added multiple weapons for Trevor Lawrence this season, with Gabe Davis coming from free agency and the organization drafting Brian Thomas Jr.
Both players have had decent showings so far, but neither has elevated their game enough to be considered the WR1 in this struggling offense. We will help you correctly identify the Jaguars wide receiver you need to add to your fantasy football starting lineup this week to dominate your opponents and earn that victory.
Should You Start Gabe Davis or Brian Thomas Jr. in Week 3?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say Thomas is the player to start. Thomas is projected to score 10.6 fantasy points with 3.5 receptions and 52.8 receiving yards, while Davis will only score 7.7 points by producing 2.1 receptions and 35.8 receiving yards.
We agree with the Consensus Rankings, as Thomas’ speed has been evident this season while Davis has struggled to run crisp routes in either game. The Jaguars face the Buffalo Bills this week, and this defense is no pushover. The Bills’ defense allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position.
This game may be one where you want to move to another team; however, with Lawrence leading the way in deep ball percentage this year, Thomas can elevate and beat his projected fantasy totals this week.
Davis’ Fantasy Outlook This Week
Last week, Davis elevated his target total from three to seven. However, he didn’t record any more receptions, as he still only produced three. TruMedia shows that Davis has seen more routes this season over Thomas. However, we don’t expect that to last long, as Davis has fewer yards per reception and air yards per target than the rookie. Davis is a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency Flex play at best.
Thomas’ Fantasy Outlook This Week
Thomas has had a stellar start to his rookie season for a team that has yet to hit its stride. His 23.5 yards per reception rank seventh highest in the NFL. He also sports 15 air yards per target, ranking him eighth overall, one spot over Davis. Lawrence loves the deep ball, so the Jaguars added both deep threats to their organization.
However, only Thomas looks precise in his routes and has been able to produce outside of doing extra cardio with his deep routes. Thomas is a Flex play most weeks as long as Lawrence continues to lead the league in deep ball throw percentage.
0 WR Gabe Davis looks like he's dragging a wagon behind him pic.twitter.com/xi1Z6NMnJT
— Jacob Nierob (@JNierob) September 18, 2024