Mike Evans vs Brian Thomas

“At wide receiver, the team added Mike Evans and brought back Deebo Samuel .”

“Mayfield returns fully healthy, and veteran wideout Mike Evans has departed for San Francisco, leaving Chris Godwin as Egbuka’s main competition for targets.”

“Evans is not being drafted at WR27 because he suddenly stopped winning routes. He is being discounted because he is 33, has changed teams, and is coming off the first injury-ravaged season of his career.”

“Now fully healthy without Mike Evans hoarding end zone targets, Egbuka could make his way into Round One next season.” – Michael Tomlin ( Fantasy Six Pack ) “There are so many appealing choices in this range, but I’ll go with Emeka Egbuka .”

“However, if he ends up playing 13+ games, fantasy managers will be ecstatic. Another reason I am willing to take the risk of injury with Evans is that when he plays, he should be a locked-in top-12 player on this offense each week.”

“With Ricky Pearsall now missing the season with his PCL injury, it is rookie De’Zhaun Stribling and Christian Kirk behind Mike Evans”

“Mike Evans is now in San Francisco, which is important because when Evans wasn’t on the field last season, Egbuka’s target share was 28%”

“Yet, Samuel could be Brock Purdy’s top wide receiver at some point this year given Mike Evans ‘ recent injury history”

“A fully healthy Mike Evans in this Kyle Shanahan system is a lock for 70+ receptions, 1,000+ yards ( obviously ), and 8+ TDs…that baseline would have been enough to finish as the overall WR11 in 0.5 PPR scoring in 2025, and is the exact reason The Path to a WR1 Season for Mike Evans is paved with gold.”

“Big Mike joins an offense with arguably the best overall RB, TE, and head coach in the entire league, and although this sounds like a recipe for disaster for a veteran recovering from a season plagued by injury, I tend to look at his move west in a similar light to all those optimistic prospectors from the mid-1800s…becuase let me tell you, Mike Evans on this 49ers team is going to be fantasy gold .”

“Mike Evans has a new home with the 49ers, and he looks like a wonderful value in fantasy drafts.”

“49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk had high hopes for new WR Mike Evans , but he was still surprised by the veteran’s ability to completely dominate practice, especially during red-zone periods. “The expectations we had for Mike were already high … he’s a Hall of Famer … and he blew us all away,” Juszczyk said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic . “He was unguardable in practice, especially in the red zone. And he fits in so well.””

“This means he’ll have massive week-to-week volatility. I’m mostly interested in Thomas Jr. in best ball formats where I don’t have to stress about when to start him.”

“Washington averaged 2.19 yards per route run for the season and 0.24 targets per route run — a better TPRR number than teammates Brian Thomas Jr.”

“Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAC) Thomas’s rookie season, 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns, is viewed as unlikely to be repeated given real added target competition from a teammate who came on strong late last season, another solid veteran addition, and a two-way rookie wildcard.”

“There’s some uncertainty about how the Jags target hierarchy sifts out this season with Brian Thomas Jr.”

“The target competition is stiffer now, with Jakobi Meyers joining the team midway through the 2025 season and Parker Washington looking like a breakout star late in the year. The Jags say two-way player Travis Hunter will be deployed primarily as a cornerback this year, but he’s a potential wild card as a target thief. This just doesn’t seem like an ecosystem that sets up well for a Brian Thomas Jr. bounce-back.”

“Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAC) | ADP: 74.0 (WR30) Brian Thomas Jr. had an electrifying rookie campaign. He finished as the WR4 in half-PPR points (240.5) and was tied for the WR11 in half-PPR points per game (14.1) among those who played at least eight games in 2024.”

“I do not see a single player in the Jaguars’ receiving room with higher upside than Brian Thomas Jr .”

“It's hard to trust Brian Thomas Jr. as a WR2 in PPR leagues. In situations where Meyers was on the field for the Jaguars last season, Thomas's target share was third on the team at under 17%, and he only caught 18 out of 30 targets for 287 yards and scored once.”

“You have the absolute letdown of 2025, Brian Thomas Jr., who basically played no part in the Jags' success last year. He disappeared despite the team's success, ending as the WR44.”

“Josh Cameron is a big downfield weapon who has the potential to develop into a valuable receiver, especially if Brian Thomas Jr. isn't part of the team's long-term plans.”

“Brian Thomas Jr. was playing through wrist, shoulder, and ankle injuries for much of the 2025 season, which severely impacted his production. We could certainly see the rookie version of Thomas again.”

“The talent that made BTJ a breakout star still exists, but his connection with Trevor Lawrence never consistently clicked in Liam Coen's system. Until Jacksonville proves willing to feature him more prominently again, Thomas profiles as more of a volatile upside WR3/4 than the ascending alpha many expected entering 2025.”