A.J. Brown Trade - Fantasy Football Outlook

DFS Army’s Gthom breaks down the A.J. Brown trade between the Titans and Eagles for fantasy football.

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Oct 18, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrates with running back Derrick Henry (22) after a touchdown during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Brown Trade Analysis

A.J. Brown feels like a different fantasy player after this trade, even despite being incredibly talented. Moving from a Super Bowl contending team to a fringe wild card team, that has struggled with their passing attack, will cause Brown to be less valuable for fantasy. The biggest hurdles Brown will have to jump for fantasy will be staying healthy and his own quarterback.

Before the trade to Philly, Brown was a boom-or-bust fantasy asset. His all-or-nothing profile will continue for the Eagles and Brown should see a lower fantasy floor; his breakout weeks may become less frequent as well. Brown is talented enough to elevate the Philly passing attack, but will Jalen Hurts—his new quarterback who often prefers to run the football—be a good enough passer to maintain Brown’s fantasy value?

How Should you View the Marquise Brown Trade for Fantasy Football?

Perhaps this is the player that Hurts needs: a physical, possession-receiver who can make big plays close to the line of scrimmage. Brown’s utilization around the red zone will be interesting and that could be where he makes-or-breaks his fantasy season. He should be the number-one red zone target for the Eagles, unlike his former team–the Titans–who often deferred to Derrick Henry.

Brown is no stranger to injuries and as his career has progressed, he has missed more games each season. He played a full-season in 2019, missed two games in 2020 and missed four games in 2021. Staying on the field has always been the most important aspect for Brown in fantasy. He has elite talent but health is required to display it.

Fantasy Outlook

Brown moves down from being a top-8 receiver to being a high end WR2 in redraft and best ball (WR14 – 16). For dynasty he still has tremendous value due to his talent, but his immediate value does fall a little bit. View him as a bottom tier-two receiver whereas before, he was a tier-one.

The Player Fallout:

Following the A.J. Brown trade, Robert Woods boosts to fringe WR2 territory. Woods is not a receiver who can directly replace Brown’s role and talent within this offense, however. The Titans’ 2022 first-round rookie receiver, Treylon Burks, will be in the WR3/Flex range with potential for upside. Austin Hooper’s early-season value increases with this move, but as the season progresses his value may inverse.

For the Eagles, this should allow Philly’s secondary pass catchers, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, to operate with less defensive attention. Goedert’s outlook remains unchanged. Smith will fall in value and remain a dart-throw WR3/Flex option. Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal remain undraftable for fantasy.