Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Brian Thomas Jr.

Thursday, October 22, 7:44 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown was looking for a bounce-back game on Thursday night on the road against the Chicago Bears, but it did not come. Brown came off Injured Reserve last weekend for Sunday's 26-19 victory over the division-rival New York Jets, but he battled drops and finished with only three catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler was held in check again in Thursday's loss to the Bears, as he caught only three of his six targets on the night for 48 yards and no touchdowns. Brown's 48 receiving yards were fourth on the team, and his six targets were only one fewer than tight end Hunter Henry. He has not looked all that comfortable in two games since returning from a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With more time to rest before the team's Week 8 game on the road against the division-rival Miami Dolphins, fantasy managers will be hoping that Brown can finally make some noise in 2026. He has been one of the biggest fantasy busts at the receiver position through the first seven games of the year.