New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown was a big offseason pickup for the Patriots, as they tried to build on their run to the Super Bowl last season. When available, Brown has been very active but has not been as productive as the team hoped and has been only available for three games all year. Brown was able to get in limited practices all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. If he is ready to play this week in Munich, is he someone you should start in your fantasy football lineup or is he better off left on the bench?
Let’s take a look at the latest on A.J. Brown’s injury and the best way to approach him in Week 10.
A.J. Brown Start or Sit Advice for Week 10
Brown had three catches for 26 yards in his Patriots debut before sustaining an ankle injury that sidelined him from Week 2 through Week 5. He returned in Week 6, but only had three catches for 27 yards despite getting 10 targets. He also had multiple critical drops in that contest, although the Patriots still held on to defeat the Jets, 26-19.
The following Thursday Night, Brown caught three of six targets for 48 yards against the Bears, but after that game, he started missing time due to ankle and knee issues. He missed Week 8 and Week 9, but he has a chance to return in Week 10 after getting in three limited sessions this week and traveling with the team to Munich. He is officially questionable for this week’s matchup against the Lions.
Brown has 20 targets in his 83 routes run, and he has nine catches for 101 receiving yards over his three games available.
He has a favorable matchup if he does play this week, since the Lions have been a favorable matchup for wide receivers, particularly in terms of receiving yardage. Opposing receivers have averaged over 164 receiving yards per game against the Lions, scoring six touchdowns in eight games. The Lions’ secondary has been much better lately than it was early in the season, but they’re still a good spot to attack.
Whether he plays or not, Brown will not be a factor on the main DFS fantasy football slate this week, but he is in single-game Showdown contests like the NFL Showdown $400K Showdown Special [$100K to 1st] (NE @ DET) on DraftKings. In those contests, Brown has a solid, midrange $7,800 salary in a FLEX spot and an $11,700 salary in the Captain’s spot. He does have some contrarian upside to consider since he will likely be an unpopular play even if he does take the field. He’s very hard to trust as a Captain, but will be worth considering as a FLEX to help your lineup stand out.
For season-long leagues, Brown is also hard to trust. If you’ve been without him and planning around his absence this long, it’s probably best to wait another week and let him prove he’s healthy enough to return to his role as a weekly starter. He can be started in emergency situations if he’s active, since he has been so heavily targeted when available, but unless you’re in a very deep league, there are probably stronger options available.
If Brown does play well or even just avoids any setbacks against the Lions, he should be worth considering in future weeks, since he does have a high ceiling. After the Week 11 bye, the Patriots play the Chargers, Bills, Vikings and Chiefs.
