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Start Ja'Kobi Lane or Brian Thomas Jr.? Week 9

Updated Nov 3, 3:06 AM ET.

Start Brian Thomas Jr. over Ja'Kobi Lane

Thomas projects lower, 3.5 to 3.9, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 72 for Thomas, 201 for Lane.

Start

Brian Thomas Jr.

WR · JAX · at BAL

Market projects
3.5
fantasy pts
BAL D vs WR
35.8
7th most to WRs (2026)
Target share
12%
Through Week 8
Sit

Ja'Kobi Lane

WR · BAL · vs JAX

Market projects
3.9
fantasy pts
JAX D vs WR
38.0
4th most to WRs (2026)
Snap share
54%
Through Week 8
Target share
12%
Through Week 8

Should I drop Ja'Kobi Lane for Brian Thomas Jr.?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Brian Thomas Jr. projects 59 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Kobi Lane 34 (4.3 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts Brian Thomas Jr. over Ja'Kobi Lane.

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Our Week 9 call

Start Brian Thomas Jr. over Ja'Kobi Lane in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Brian Thomas Jr. at 3.5 points and Ja'Kobi Lane at 3.9, a gap of 0.4. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Brian Thomas Jr. still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 72 against 201, and that outweighs a gap this size.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 3.9 fantasy points for Ja'Kobi Lane, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Ja'Kobi Lane is 17 receiving yards, 1-2 receptions and 0.1 touchdowns (11, 11 and 11 market sources).

Player markets imply 3.5 fantasy points for Brian Thomas Jr., with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Brian Thomas Jr. is 11 receiving yards, 1-2 receptions and 0.2 touchdowns (9, 9 and 11 market sources).

That puts Ja'Kobi Lane 0.4 points ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. on the market projections.

Week 9 matchups

Ja'Kobi Lane and BAL host JAX on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

JAX allowed 38.0 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 4th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 210 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against JAX.

Brian Thomas Jr. and JAX visit BAL on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

BAL allowed 35.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 182 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against BAL.

By points allowed to the position, Ja'Kobi Lane has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Ja'Kobi Lane is not on the injury report.

Brian Thomas Jr. is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Ja'Kobi Lane played 54 percent of BAL snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 16 percent of the air yards and had 15 percent of the red zone chances.

Ja'Kobi Lane, Week 1 against IND: 27 of 68 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 11 yards.

Ja'Kobi Lane, Week 6 against CLE: 31 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 40 yards.

Ja'Kobi Lane, Week 7 against CIN: 46 of 67 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 25 yards.

Ja'Kobi Lane, Week 8 against BUF: 1 target and 1 catch for 13 yards.

Through Week 8, Brian Thomas Jr. drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 22 percent of the air yards and had 25 percent of the red zone chances.

Brian Thomas Jr., Week 8 against IND: 2 targets and 1 catch for 12 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Brian Thomas Jr. played 14 games for JAX and scored 138.8 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing WR42.

He caught 48 of 91 targets for 707 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 6 red zone targets and 548 air yards.

He was on the field for 79 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Brian Thomas Jr., Week 18 of 2025 against TEN: 5 targets and 3 catches for 49 yards, 7.9 PPR points.

Brian Thomas Jr., Week 17 of 2025 against IND: 54 of 69 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 39 yards, 7.9 PPR points.

Their other Week 9 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 9, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

  • Should I drop Ja'Kobi Lane for Brian Thomas Jr.?

    Yes, on the rest of the season. Brian Thomas Jr. projects 59 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Kobi Lane 34 (4.3 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts Brian Thomas Jr. over Ja'Kobi Lane.

  • Should I drop Brian Thomas Jr. for Ja'Kobi Lane?

    No. Keep Brian Thomas Jr.: he projects 59 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.5 a game over 9 games), Ja'Kobi Lane 34 (4.3 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts Brian Thomas Jr. over Ja'Kobi Lane.

Week 9 on the board

Elsewhere on the board