A.J. Brown Fantasy Stats

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown was looking for a bounce-back game on Thursday night on the road against the Chicago Bears, but it did not come. Brown came off Injured Reserve last weekend for Sunday's 26-19 victory over the division-rival New York Jets, but he battled drops and finished with only three catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler was held in check again in Thursday's loss to the Bears, as he caught only three of his six targets on the night for 48 yards and no touchdowns. Brown's 48 receiving yards were fourth on the team, and his six targets were only one fewer than tight end Hunter Henry. He has not looked all that comfortable in two games since returning from a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With more time to rest before the team's Week 8 game on the road against the division-rival Miami Dolphins, fantasy managers will be hoping that Brown can finally make some noise in 2026. He has been one of the biggest fantasy busts at the receiver position through the first seven games of the year.

New England Patriots veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown returned from a high-ankle sprain that landed him on Injured Reserve in the Week 6 win over the division-rival New York Jets, but he struggled with drops and caught only three of his 10 targets for 27 yards in his second game with the Patriots. Brown also disappointed in his debut with New England in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, when he caught three of his four targets for 26 yards before injuring his ankle. Thursday Night Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinks Brown is primed to bounce back to form on Thursday night against the hosting Chicago Bears in Week 7. "I would be shocked if AJ Brown doesn't play incredibly well tonight. He was getting back into rhythm last week coming back from injury," Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show. Brown is a difference-maker when healthy, and quarterback Drake Maye is expected to try to get his WR1 the ball early and often on Thursday night. Fantasy managers should be starting Brown this week, even after his lackluster return from injury in Week 6. Do not forget that receiver Romeo Doubs (shoulder) is on IR and will miss the next four games, which will raise Brown's fantasy ceiling.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown has top-10 upside in fantasy football, but he'll first need to show a little more reliability in the passing game. Brown returned from a four-week injury-related absence last Sunday and had three dropped passes (plus a muffed onside kick recovery attempt) against the Jets. Drops have been a factor for Brown throughout his career, but this was easily one of the worst performances of his career in that regard. He will look to turn things around with a much more reliable performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Fortunately for Brown, this is a relatively favorable matchup, as the Bears have allowed the 11th-most receiving yards, ninth-most receiving touchdowns, and 13th-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2026. Brown will also have a little less competition for targets after Romeo Doubs (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve, although volume was never really a major concern for the alpha receiver, especially after he was targeted 10 times in Week 6. Brown is a high-end WR2 for now, but his track record makes it clear that he has WR1 upside and could return to top-12 territory on a weekly basis if he strings together a couple of strong outings.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) was removed from the final Week 7 injury report on Wednesday and will play on Thursday night against the hosting Chicago Bears. Brown was limited in practice on Monday and Tuesday before upgrading to full participation on Wednesday. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler returned from Injured Reserve to play in the Week 6 win over the division-rival New York Jets on Sunday. He played 76% of the offensive snaps, but he was rusty and battled crucial drops, ultimately finishing with only three catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. The positive takeaway is that quarterback Drake Maye targeted Brown double-digit times in his first game back. Another week removed from his high-ankle sprain, fantasy managers will be hoping he can finally produce in just his third game with the Patriots. Brown caught three of his four targets for 26 yards in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks before spraining his ankle. At worst, he should be considered a low-end WR2 for fantasy managers this week.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) was seen working with the team in individual drills during Tuesday's practice, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Brown returned from his Week 1 high-ankle sprain in Sunday's divisional win against the New York Jets, but the 29-year-old is still on the Week 7 injury report and was estimated to be limited for Monday's session. He could be listed as limited again on Tuesday, but barring a setback with his ankle, he should be active to kick off Week 7 action on Thursday night on the road against the Chicago Bears. Brown was a bust for fantasy managers who started him in Week 6 in his return following a four-game absence, as he managed to catch only three of 10 targets for 27 yards in the 26-19 win. The veteran pass-catcher battled drops and looked rusty in his first game back. Hopefully, Brown will look better on Thursday night as he looks for his first touchdown of 2026. At the very least, Brown should be considered a low-end WR2 as he looks to get back in a groove as New England's WR1.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) endured a frustrating return to action in Sunday's 26-19 victory over the New York Jets. Playing for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1, Brown struggled to capitalize on his opportunities despite being involved in the passing game early. The veteran dropped several catchable passes, including an end-zone opportunity, as quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdowns to Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Hunter Henry. Brown's inability to make the most of his chances was especially disappointing considering the Patriots lost Doubs to a shoulder injury in the first quarter. Some rust was understandable after four consecutive missed games, but the performance offered little encouragement to fantasy managers who started him. New England faces the Chicago Bears on Thursday night in Week 7, leaving Brown with a short turnaround to regain his rhythm.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) will play a "good amount" of snaps in his return from injured reserve, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Although Brown isn't expected to be 100% on Sunday, it does sound like he'll be pretty close to a full workload. That's great news for fantasy managers, who should feel reassured about starting him as a WR1 in their Week 6 lineups. Brown is returning to this surging Patriots offense at just the right time. Quarterback Drake Maye has completed 48 passes over the last two weeks alone, so there should be plenty of targets and receptions headed Brown's way. New York has been stingier against wide receivers in fantasy football this year, but Brown is matchup-proof and should excel this week, especially with the Patriots projected to win by 7.5 points.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) has officially been activated from Injured Reserve and will play in his team's Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Brown has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old is in his first season with the Patriots, but he has a long history of being a highly productive wideout and should immediately become the number one target for New England quarterback Drake Maye. Across 15 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, Brown recorded 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 targets. Now that he's officially active, Brown profiles as a must-start wide receiver for fantasy managers in Week 6.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is expected to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Week 6 against the New York Jets. If confirmed as active for Sunday's divisional contest, Brown would immediately jump into must-start territory for fantasy football. The Patriots acquired Brown this past offseason to be their alpha receiver and Drake Maye's favorite target, and he re-joins the offense at a perfect time as the unit has been firing on all cylinders lately. Maye has completed 48 passes over the last two weeks alone, so there are likely plenty of targets and receptions headed Brown's way. New York has been stingier against wide receivers in fantasy football this year, but Brown is matchup-proof and should excel this week, especially with the Patriots projected to win by 7.5 points. As long as he's officially activated and cleared to play, Brown should rank as a low-end WR1 in fantasy football.

The New England Patriots are likely to activate wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) off Injured Reserve ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Brown has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old is in his first season with the Patriots after recording 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 targets across 15 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. Once active, Brown profiles as the clear number-one option in the Patriots' passing game. Fantasy managers can view him as a low-end WR2 in his first game back.