Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Chris Olave


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
14.7 0.0 0.0 5.0 70.9 0.4

A.J. Brown News

A.J. Brown Not Suiting Up Thursday Against the Browns

Thursday, August 27, 5:25 PM

According to Evan Lazar, senior reporter for the Patriots, star wide receiver A.J. Brown will not be playing Thursday night in the Patriots' final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Brown is one of 37 Patriots not in uniform tonight, which indicates the team will be resting a majority of its key starters. Brown did not record any preseason stats in any of the three Patriots preseason games, but reports from camp have suggested good chemistry with third-year quarterback Drake Maye. Brown enters his eighth NFL season at 29 years old and his first season with the Patriots, where he should be the clear alpha in the wide receiver room. Brown has recorded north of 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first seven seasons and has scored seven-plus touchdowns in seven of his eight seasons. He projects to be a WR1 for fantasy managers and is one of the trendiest names in fantasy football entering the 2026 season.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
14.1 0.1 0.0 5.1 64.7 0.4

Chris Olave News

Chris Olave Returns to Practice on Wednesday

Wednesday, August 26, 4:16 PM

After an injury scare on Tuesday, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (upper body) returned to training camp practice on Wednesday, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. Olave got the wind knocked out of him when he landed hard on his back during practice on Tuesday, and he sat out the rest of practice. It was a brief scare for the team's best pass-catcher, but the 26-year-old is now completely fine and will be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season in early September. Second-year quarterback Tyler Shough will continue to lean on Olave, with rookie first-rounder Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) set to miss the beginning of the season. Olave, a former 11th overall pick from Ohio State, was rewarded with a four-year, $132 million contract extension last month after setting career highs in catches (100), targets (156), receiving yards (1,163), and touchdowns (nine) in 2025 in his fourth year in the league. With enough volume in head coach Kellen Moore's up-tempo offense, Olave should continue to have a high floor in 2026, making him at least worthy of low-end WR1 status in fantasy football drafts. He is ranked as RotoBaller's WR10 in half-PPR scoring.


A.J. Brown vs. Chris Olave

Still trying to decide between Brown and Olave? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that A.J. Brown is projected to score 14.7 points this week while Chris Olave is projected to score 14.1 points.