A.J. Brown Flops in Return but Drake Maye Isn't Sweating It
Brown turned 10 targets into just 3 catches for 27 yards in his return, but a short week and a thinning Patriots WR room keep him in your lineup.
Game-high target volume and a thin WR room keep him a must-start Thursday.
- Brown: 3 catches on 10 targets, 27 yards vs Jets
- Played 52 snaps in return; ankle 'feeling good'
- Our WR11, rank #47 heading into Week 8
- Patriots placed Romeo Doubs on IR this week
- Only 4 active WRs left on NE roster
A.J. Brown came back from injury and promptly laid an egg. In his first game since the ankle issue, the three-time Pro Bowler led everyone with 10 targets but caught just three of them for 27 yards, wrestling with a few drops along the way. Not the stat line fantasy managers were hoping for from a player we rank WR11 (#47 overall).
Drake Maye, for his part, isn't losing sleep over it. The quarterback took some blame himself, saying there were throws he'd like back and that wanting to make a play too badly is part of the deal in this league. His message was blunt: it's A.J. Brown, last week is last week, and the focus is now on Chicago. Maye has been excellent in 2026, posting 1,463 passing yards, 11 TDs and zero interceptions across six games for 127 PPR points — our QB6.
Brown echoed the short-memory approach. He said he watched the film, put the game to bed and is looking forward, keeping it simple: you throw it, you catch it, you make the play. He also confirmed the ankle held up fine over 52 snaps — the usual bumps and bruises, but nothing concerning on that front.
Why the Volume Still Matters
Here's the part that should calm nervous managers: Brown saw double-digit targets in a game where his chemistry with Maye clearly isn't clicking yet. Volume like that is the floor you want. And the Patriots just gave him an even bigger slice of the pie by placing Romeo Doubs on injured reserve, leaving Brown, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams as the only receivers on the active roster.
Douglas has quietly been the more productive fantasy option so far — 20 catches, 233 yards and 3 TDs over six games for 59 PPR points (our WR41) — but he's a complementary piece, not the alpha. On just two games this season, Brown sits at 6 catches, 53 yards and 11 PPR points, a tiny sample skewed by the injury absence and Sunday's dud.
The Fantasy Verdict
Start A.J. Brown on Thursday night against the Bears, no hesitation. A short week, a healthy ankle, a thinned-out receiver room and a quarterback who refuses to stop feeding him — that's the exact recipe for a bounce-back. The drops are frustrating, but you don't bench a WR11 who just commanded 10 targets. If a panicked manager in your league wants to sell, that's a buy-low you take every time.
