Three weeks into the NFL season, it may be time to start looking into fantasy football trades.
Whether you’re 0-3 and looking for a shot in the arm, or you’re 3-0 and trying to prey on the desperate teams, there is a large enough sample size to start some serious conversations about how to move forward. Injuries have left plenty of managers short-handed, as have disappointing starts from some notable stars.
Fantasy football trades are always tough to get across the finish line, so it could take a while for a deal to come together. Before Week 4 gets underway, it’s time to take stock of where certain players of note stand. DraftKings is here to break down who could be worth moving, starting with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
A.J. Brown Fantasy Value
Brown was a consensus top-10 receiver heading into the fantasy season, and for good reason. He was a top-10 receiver in his first two years with the Tennessee Titans, then again with the Eagles in 2022 and 2023. While Brown ranked No. 17 at his position in 2024, that can be blamed on the four games he missed early in the season.
Needless to say, expectations were high for Brown in 2025, considering he was the top option in the passing game for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Brown proceeded to put up two spotty performances right out of the gates. He had just one target in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, reeling it in for eight yards to help seal Philadelphia’s win. Jalen Hurts looked his way more regularly in Week 2, delivering eight passes his way that went for five completions. The Eagles’ offense was so conservative, though, and Brown only had 27 yards that week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fantasy panic around Brown reached a new high in the first half of Sunday’s showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. Brown had zero catches in the first half, putting him on pace for a third consecutive dud.
With Philadelphia trailing 26-7 in the third quarter, Hurts and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s only option was to get Brown going. The three-time Pro Bowler started getting looks over the middle, deep down the sideline and everywhere else in between. By the end of the afternoon, the Eagles came back to win 33-26. Brown played a major part in the victory, racking up six catches, 109 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.
Should I trade A.J. Brown?
Brown told reporters after Sunday’s win that he wanted the Eagles’ offense to be more aggressive, given all the talent they have on the roster. This isn’t the first time Brown has been outspoken about his usage, and it hasn’t sunk him before. Especially now that Brown was more or less proven right, Patullo may not have a choice when it comes to feeding Brown early and often moving forward. The kind of targets Brown gets could be more valuable, as well, unlike his workload from Week 2.
After scoring 1.8 PPR points in the season opener, Brown has posted 7.7 and 22.9 in his two games since. That kind of upward trajectory is promising, even if his initial struggles likely cost fantasy owners wins. The Eagles have now shown they can compete in shootouts, too, and that they won’t necessarily be in run-first slugfests every week.
But if you aren’t buying the turnaround for Brown and need wins ASAP, moving off of him now is justifiable. The Eagles’ next two opponents – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos – rank fifth and fourth, respectively, in fantasy points against by wide receivers. In Week 7, they play the Minnesota Vikings, who rank third in the category. So even if a real A.J. Brown resurgence is due by the end of the year, it might be harder to trade him in Week 8 than it will be in Week 4.
On the other hand, Philadelphia is set to face the New York Giants in Weeks 6 and 8. If you have a winning record, or enough depth at WR to bump Brown down to FLEX for his tougher matchups, there should be a couple pots of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow.
What trade package could A.J. Brown fetch?
It may be tempting to strike while the iron is hot with Brown and take whatever viable offer is out there just to move on from a player who was so thoroughly disappointing to start the year. Just try not to go overboard and sell too low.
If Brown was your WR1 to start the year, you’re going to need at least one starting-caliber receiver back in any trade. Other teams may be looking to sell high on mid-round hits like Rome Odunze, Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers or Emeka Egbuka, so those should be your top targets. Brown’s track record should be able to get you one of those wideouts, plus a part-time FLEX play.
If Brown was your WR2, and you drafted an Odunze, Wilson, Flowers or Egbuka type to be your FLEX, then you could try to flip Brown for a running back instead. Omarion Hampton and Kenneth Walker should be attainable, while Travis Etienne could be a solid chip in a larger deal.
