Brian Thomas vs Jaylen Waddle: Who Should You Start?
Two wide receivers who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Brian Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars) finished the 2025 season averaging 8.2 fantasy points per game in 14 games. Jaylen Waddle (Denver Broncos) came in at 10.1 PPG over 16 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Jaylen Waddle carries a 1.9-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Both are workload receivers with similar target shares. Brian Thomas turned 91 targets into 707 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jaylen Waddle converted 100 looks into 910 yards and 6 scores. When target volume is this close, game script and defensive matchup typically decide the weekly winner.
Brian Thomas has his bye in Week 12, and Jaylen Waddle rests in Week 14. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
