Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Sunday, June 28, 11:28 AM

After spending the last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown is entering his first campaign with the New England Patriots in 2026. Across 15 games with Philadelphia in 2025, Brown recorded 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 targets, finishing as the WR11 in per-game PPR scoring. Brown's target volume in the Eagles' run-heavy offense was a point of discussion all year long, as the wideout publicly agitated for more opportunities at multiple points throughout the season. While Brown profiles as the clear number one option in the Patriots' passing game, New England was also a run-heavy offense in 2025, ranking 25th in the NFL in pass rate. Brown is also entering his age-29 season and has had durability issues in recent years, missing six games over the last two seasons due to knee and hamstring issues. While Brown should be a productive player for fantasy managers in 2026, he may be slightly overvalued as the WR8 by current average draft position.