The Philadelphia Eagles are taking the conservative approach with three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown's hamstring injury. Brown told ESPN's Lisa Salters that he “expects to miss a couple weeks” with the hamstring injury/soreness he felt in practice Friday. Brown popped up on Philadelphia's injury report as a limited practice participant Friday before not practicing at all Saturday.
“We'll see. I don't know that yet,” Sirianni said, via PHLY Sports. “You know I won't give you that information yet because I don't know. We'll see how that goes.”
Week 2's “Monday Night Football” matchup with the Atlanta Falcons is the first game Brown has missed since becoming an Eagle in a trade with the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
Brown's 119 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches helped power the Eagles to a 34-29 victory in Brazil in Week 1. Philadelphia will miss Brown's big-play ability: his 34 catches of 25 or more yards since joining the Eagles in 2022 are the second-most in the NFL behind Tyreek Hill's 36 such catches. Brown's 87.7 receiving yards per game since 2022 rank as the fourth-most in the entire league. He signed a new three-year, $96 million contract extension with the team in April after recording more than 1,400 receiving yards in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Receiver DeVonta Smith, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft will be asked to step up in Brown's absence. Smith and former Eagles great DeSean Jackson are the only players in franchise history with at least 900 receiving yards in each of their first three seasons in the league after being drafted by Philadelphia.
Fantasy Impact of A.J. Brown’s Injury
The Eagles' loss to the Falcons was a reminder of how important A.J. Brown is to their offense. Brown's injury means that fantasy managers need to look for replacements, and there are several players available on the waiver wire who could be worth a look.
Who Benefits From A.J. Brown’s Absence?
With Brown out, DeVonta Smith is the obvious beneficiary, and he saw a bump in target share in the game against the Falcons. However, there are other players who could see their roles expand.
Waiver Wire Targets for Fantasy Football
Here are a few players who could be worth adding to your fantasy roster while A.J. Brown is out.
Jerry Jeudy (CLE)
Jeudy finished Week 1 as the WR33 in fantasy with a 17.8% target share, a 31.4% air-yard share and a 20% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). Among 78 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 18th in separation and 21st in route win rate. He followed that up with 73 receiving yards (2.08 yards per route run) and a 17.7% target share. Jeudy looks like he could be the WR1 for this offense moving forward as Amari Cooper continues to stack silent games to open the 2024 season. Jeudy’s next three matchups are juicy and should place him in the WR3/flex conversation for fantasy lineups.
Demarcus Robinson (LAR)
Robinson could be the Rams’ new WR1 moving forward. Cooper Kupp was spotted in a walking boot after the team’s Week 2 loss to the Cardinals. Kupp didn’t play in the second half. Robinson led the team with 50 receiving yards in Week 2 while playing 92% of the snaps with Matthew Stafford and drawing a 14.8% target share with 1.78 yards per route run (per PFF). Robinson has been quietly amazing on a per-route basis over the last two seasons. In Week 1, among 78 qualifying receivers, Robinson ranked 33rd in separation and 13th in route win rate (per Fantasy Points Data). These numbers check out, as he was also 18th in separation and 42nd in route win rate last year among 125 qualifying receivers. The upcoming matchups aren’t kind to Robinson, but the target volume should be there.
Quentin Johnston (LAC)
Don’t look now, but Johnston is playing well. He crushed expectations in Week 2, leading the Bolts’ receivers in every category. He drew a 30% target share while recording a team-leading 69% route share and two scores. Johnston’s 2.68 yards per route run (per PFF) was quite nice. While he didn’t fill up the box score in Week 1, he was quietly effective. Among 80 qualifying receivers, Johnston was 38th in route win rate (per Fantasy Points Data). With Joshua Palmer banged up and Ladd McConkey experiencing rookie growing pains, Johnston could be the team’s WR1 moving forward. The upcoming matchups aren’t amazing before the team’s bye, so keep your expectations in check, but better days could be ahead for the sophomore wide receiver.
Tyler Johnson (LAR)
In Week 1, after Puka Nacua was injured, Johnson had a 21.7% target share, a 12.3% air-yard share, 3.67 yards per route run (4.4 aDOT), and a 16.7% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). Among 78 qualifying receivers in Week 1, Johnson was 53rd in separation and 32nd in route win rate. His Week 2 numbers weren’t nearly as impressive, as Johnson had an 11.1% target share and 20 receiving yards (0.80 yards per route run) as a full-time receiver. Cooper Kupp was sidelined for the second half against the Cardinals and left the stadium in a walking boot, so Johnson could be elevated to the WR2 role for the Rams. This holds some weekly flex appeal, especially in deeper leagues.
Josh Downs (IND)
Downs was close to returning from an ankle injury and suiting up in Week 2. He wasn’t able to go against the Packers, but he may return in Week 3. Once he is ready to go, Downs should resume his role as the team’s starting slot wide receiver, pushing Adonai Mitchell to the bench. I feel like I need to remind people of Downs’ talent. Last year, before spraining his knee, Downs was the WR36 in fantasy points per game with an 18.9% target share and 2.0 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Downs has decent matchups in the slot over the next two weeks against Chicago and Pittsburgh, who respectively allowed the second-most and 14th-most PPR points per target last year.
Jalen Tolbert (DAL)
Tolbert had the best game of his short career in Week 2, finishing with a 23% target share (six receptions) and 1.95 yards per route run (82 receiving yards). The Cowboys got blown out by the Saints, but Dallas might have found a new playmaker who is ready to step up opposite CeeDee Lamb weekly. Brandin Cooks remains a solid veteran presence for this roster, but he’s clearly on the back nine of his career. While Lamb will draw top coverage weekly from defenses, we could see Tolbert step up. The small-school product made big strides this offseason and was the talk of training camp. It’s nice to see him start producing on the NFL stage.
Alec Pierce (IND)
Pierce followed up his monster Week 1 performance by running the most routes among the Indy wide receivers, leading the team with 56 receiving yards and tying for the team lead in targets (seven). Pierce has cemented his standing after two standout games as a full-time receiver in this offense. Josh Downs could return for Week 3, but that will send Adonai Mitchell to the bench, with Pierce remaining a starter opposite Michael Pittman. Chicago is a tough matchup for this passing attack, but Pierce should see an elevated role against Pittsburgh as Pittman likely draws shadow coverage from Joey Porter Jr. Jacksonville could be a scoring paradise for this passing attack in Week 5.
Conclusion
While A.J. Brown's injury is a blow to the Eagles, fantasy managers have several options available to fill the void on their rosters. These players are all available on the waiver wire and could provide solid production while Brown is out.
