A.J. Brown
vs De'Von Achane

“At 28, Brown is a big upgrade for a Patriots passing game that ranked fifth in the league, a huge improvement from the Eagles’ 27th-ranked unit.”

“A.J. Brown was the round two pick, built on a significant situational upgrade. His new offense ranked ninth in neutral passing rate last year, compared to his old offense’s 15th-ranked mark, and that gap could widen further with continued quarterback development, a new star receiver alongside him, and a tougher schedule that should force more passing.”

“Even in a “down” season, Brown topped 1,000 yards receiving on a run-first offense and scored seven touchdowns. In ESPN’s open score and PFF’s receiving grade — both metrics that seek to evaluate a wide receiver’s performance even if he’s not targeted on a passing play — Brown ranked No. 9 and No. 13 out of over a hundred wideouts.”

“Getting AJ Brown, who was the WR5 over the final seven games of 2025, cannot hurt Maye. All three Ballers think he is a receiver who could truly finish as the WR1 overall.”

“Andrew Erickson isn't worried about A.J. Brown's "down" season. He believes it created a buying opportunity. Despite modest touchdown totals last year, Brown still produced at a high level while commanding an elite target share. Erickson expects Josh McDaniels to feature Brown as the unquestioned focal point of New England's passing attack. If that happens, Brown could easily return to top-three fantasy wide receiver production.”

“A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert each missed just one game due to injury. Brown has since been traded.”

“Since entering the league in 2019, Brown has consistently demonstrated an ability to rack up massive yards after the catch (YAC) numbers, but has never been a true volume-based receiver. If one were to remove his totals for the 2023 season (which was an outlier), Brown averaged fewer than 70 receptions per season.”

“The analysts believe fantasy managers may be underestimating just how much upside exists in A.J. Brown's new situation. Derek Brown pointed to improvements in offensive philosophy and red-zone passing opportunities as reasons for optimism, and there was confidence that Brown remains one of the league's premier target earners.”

“In a putrid Eagles' passing attack last season, Brown was ninth in target share, 13th in air yards and eighth in red-zone target share. Now he moves to a team with an ascending passing quarterback and an offense that targets its receivers downfield.”

“A.J. Brown was involved in a trade that prompted rankings updates from the Fantasy Footballers.”

“We still have a strong sample of Brown playing at a high level last season, and he is going to play more snaps than Diggs did in this offense, with an upgrade in a complete offensive environment, keeping him firmly in play as a high-end fantasy WR1 for 2026.”

“The sportsbooks have Achane ranked as a low-end RB1 on the week. Parker Washington | WR, Jacksonville Jaguars Sportsbook Rank: WR11 Expert Consensus Rank: WR22 Even the biggest Parker Washington bull couldn’t dream up a better start to the season. Washington ranks third in yards per route run (4.52), second in targets per route run (45%), second in target share (35%), eighth in receiving yards (181), and tenth in fantasy points (18.1 PPG).”

“I’m expecting the Dolphins to get down big in this one, so unless Achane catches a bunch of dump-offs, he’s probably in for another tough fantasy day.” – Wolf Trelles-Heard ( FantasyPros )”

“De’Von Achane’s role has been unimpeachable. He ranks second among running backs in snap share (83%), first in route rate (74%), second in target share (22%) and fifth in rush share (76%). But a team-wide lack of volume has left him ranked just 15th in expected half-PPR points.”

“Malik Willis and De'Von Achane can scoot. Among 74 running backs with at least 150 rush attempts since 2023, Achane is first in yards per carry (5.62) and first in explosive run rate (16.6%).”

“While McDaniel was head coach in Miami, De’Von Achane averaged 5.6 yards per carry, scored 35 touchdowns in 44 games, and had seasons with 78 and 67 catches. Achane and Hampton have wildly different body types – Achane weighs less than 200 pounds; Hampton is a 220-pound brute – but it’s hard to look at the ways McDaniels used Achane without getting excited about what’s in store for Hampton.”

“De’Von Achane (MIA) Achane was one of five running backs to average over 20 PPR fantasy points per game last year (20.2).”

“De’Von Achane (RB – MIA) Last year, De’Von Achane had more than 450 rushing yards, more than his previous best, and surpassed 1000 yards for the first time in his career while hitting 80 targets for the second consecutive year.”

“But Achane will be sailing into some fierce headwinds this year. The Dolphins’ Vegas win total for 2026 was 4.5 as of this writing – and it was juiced toward the under. Miami’s offensive line is expected to be among the worst in the league.”

“There’s no denying that Achane is an abundantly talented player and a fun watch. He’s averaged 5.6 yards per carry for his career, he’s scored double-digit touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he’s had 145 catches over the last two years. Achane finished RB5 in half-point PPR scoring last year.”

“Achane has had a major downgrade in team context. For one, Mike McDaniel is no longer calling plays.”

“For those who are worried about De'Von Achane and the Miami offense struggling so much that he will not be productive, maybe just look back at 2025, when the Dolphins struggled… and he wasn't one of the most consistent RBs in fantasy; he was THE most consistent RB in fantasy. Achane can get it done on the ground and in the air, so regardless of game script, he is a blessing for most fantasy teams.”