Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Rome Odunze


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
11.4 0.1 0.0 3.5 55.0 0.4

Rome Odunze News

Rome Odunze Says his Foot Feels Great

Thursday, July 30, 4:36 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) made comments back in June about his injured foot being the "new normal," which led many to believe he'd never be the WR the team envisioned he'd be when they took him ninth overall in 2024 from the University of Washington. The 24-year-old third-year wideout clarified his "new normal" comments from earlier in the offseason by saying on Thursday that "wasn't really what he meant." What he meant was that he was injured last year, suffering a stress fracture in his foot that limited him in the second half. Odunze had 20 catches for 296 yards and five touchdowns through the first four weeks before catching 24 passes for 365 yards and one TD in the final eight regular-season games. He said his "foot feels great" and "amazing" now and that his foot issue from a year ago isn't a "chronic" injury. Fantasy managers shouldn't be avoiding Odunze in upcoming drafts, especially with DJ Moore now in Buffalo. All the offseason hype has been on second-year wideout Luther Burden III, potentially making Odunze an excellent value pick with WR2 upside in 2026.


A.J. Brown vs. Rome Odunze

Still trying to decide between Brown and Odunze? 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 Rome Odunze is projected to score 11.4 points.