Week 2 of the NFL season has some juicy matchups spread throughout the weekend, and one of the marquee matchups is a Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and the Chiefs. Kasnas City is trying to avoid a 0-2 start to the year after losing in Brazil to the Chargers, but they could be without wide receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder), who left that game with an injury. If Worhty is out, does Hollywood Brown become a must-start play in Week 2?
Let’s take a look at the latest news on Worthy’s status and how it impacts Brown’s outlook against the Eagles.
Xavier Worthy injury update
Worthy dislocated his shoulder in Week 1 while running a crossing route on the Chiefs’ first possession. He collided with teammate Travis Kelce finished the game without a catch. While the team hasn’t ruled Worthy out yet, it’s looking unlikely that he returns just nine days after the injury.
Andy Reid clarified on Wednesday that Worthy would not practice but that surgery and an IR stint are not part of the team’s current plan.
That’s good news for Worthy’s return, since it indicates that he’ll be back before the four-week minimum required for IR, but unless he makes remarkable progress, it still looks like he’ll miss at least this week’s game.
Worthy was expected to play an expanded role in Week 1 with Rashee Rice (suspension) and Jalen Royals (knee) out. Rice will not be eligible to return for five more games, and Royals seems very unlikely to play this week as well. Even when he does make his NFL debut, his role could be limited due to him still ramping up in the offense.
Hollywood Brown Fantasy Football Outlook
With Worthy out in Week 1, Brown led the Chiefs in receptions, receiving yards, and targets. He drew a massive 16 targets from Patrick Mahomes and converted 10 into catches for 99 yards on his way to 19.9 fantasy points. He fell just one yard short of earning the 100-yard bonus points.
Brown was brought in to be a significant part of the offense before last season after two years with the Cardinals in Arizona. He was unable to make his Chiefs debut until December 21, though, following a training camp shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery following a failed attempt at rest and rehab.
When he did return, Brown played two regular-season games and totaled nine catches on 15 targets for 91 yards. He played in all three playoff games for the Chiefs as well, finishing the year by catching 2-of-6 targets for 15 yards in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Eagles.
He re-signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs this offseason, and now it looks like he’ll step in as the team’s top receiver for at least this week’s rematch with the Eagles. While he may not be the dynamic down-field threat he was in his peak with the Ravens, he should be started in almost all formats due to his PPR production.
The Bottom Line
With so many targets coming his way, he makes a great play with his salary of just $5,200 in DraftKings contests this week, like the NFL $3.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. I have him listed at No. 29 WR in my wide receiver rankings for Week 2, mening he should be started as a WR3 or flex play in almost all formats this week.
