Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Ja'Marr Chase

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
15.3	0.1	0.0	5.4	74.4	0.4

A.J. Brown News

A.J. Brown Diagnosed with a High Ankle Sprain

Thursday, September 10, 6:04 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) had a quiet debut with three catches for 26 yards on Wednesday night, before he was forced to leave with an injury. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Brown is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, which is an injury that usually requires multiple weeks to recover from. While X-Rays were negative for a fracture, the star receiver will have an MRI on Thursday to give the team a better timetable of how much time he'll miss. While Brown is out, Romeo Doubs will need to step up as he looks to rebound from his own disappointing debut. Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas will also likely get more playing time and targets, giving them the potential to pick up more work and fantasy value for as long as Brown is out.

Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati (WR)

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
20.7	1.0	0.0	7.2	90.0	0.7

Ja'Marr Chase News

Bengals Feel Good About Ja'Marr Chase Playing in Week 1

Wednesday, September 9, 10:13 AM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he likes the pace that wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (knee) is on and feels good about him playing in Week 1 on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com. Chase suffered a hyperextended left knee late in a training camp practice, but he has recovered nicely with some rest and is fully expected to suit up and be a full-go in the regular-season opener this weekend against Tampa. Fellow wideout Tee Higgins (heel), who has been dealing with a minor heel injury, should be a full-go as well, so quarterback Joe Burrow's fantasy managers should have nothing to worry about to open the 2026 campaign. Chase was the first receiver off the board in most fantasy football drafts this summer, and he should be locked into all starting lineups for this weekend's game against the Bucs. The Bengals could list Chase as limited in Wednesday's practice, but that should not set off alarm bells for fantasy managers. Until further notice, Chase is expected to play in Week 1.

A.J. Brown vs. Ja'Marr Chase

Still trying to decide between Brown and Chase? 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 15.3 points this week while Ja'Marr Chase is projected to score 20.7 points.