Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Rashee Rice


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
14.8 0.1 0.0 4.9 70.0 0.5

A.J. Brown News

A.J. Brown Keeps Practicing After Dislocating Thumb

Monday, August 3, 10:15 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (thumb) stayed on the field after dislocating his left thumb during Monday's practice, according to Doug Kyed. The injury happened during a one-on-one rep against Christian Gonzalez. Brown put the thumb back in place, was checked by the medical staff, and returned with a brace. He remained a full participant and finished with four catches, including three during 11-on-11 work. Brown joined New England in a June trade after catching 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games for Philadelphia last season. His ability to finish practice is reassuring, but the injury still bears watching because it could affect his comfort catching the ball over the next few days. For now, there is no indication that Brown is facing an extended absence, and his fantasy outlook remains unchanged unless the thumb becomes more troublesome.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.7 1.8 0.0 5.2 59.2 0.4

Rashee Rice News

Rashee Rice Clearly Not 100 Percent Recovered From Knee Surgery

Friday, July 31, 1:16 PM

Arrowhead Pride's Ron Kopp Jr. writes that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) has been leaving training camp practice early each day for planned rehabilitation. Rice clearly is not 100% recovered from his knee surgery in May. The 26-year-old wideout had a cleanup procedure on his knee in the offseason, and the Chiefs have elected to ease him into camp workouts. It's definitely something to watch this summer, but as long as Rice doesn't suffer any sort of setback, he figures to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season on Monday night against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Rice's absence from team drills has allowed rookie receiver Cyrus Allen to stand out early on. When healthy, Rice will be quarterback Patrick Mahomes' go-to target in the passing game. The former second-rounder from SMU had nearly 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie, but he's played in just 12 games the last two seasons combined due to injuries and off-the-field issues. Rice is a risk/reward No. 2 fantasy wideout entering his fourth year in the NFL. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 16 WR for 2026.


A.J. Brown vs. Rashee Rice

Still trying to decide between Brown and Rice? 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 14.8 points this week while Rashee Rice is projected to score 13.7 points.