A.J. Brown
vs Derrick Henry

“After being traded to New England, Brown should immediately command massive volume and reclaim high-end WR1 upside, with an ascending quarterback in Drake Maye.”

“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.”

“Derrick Henry did almost all of his damage in the first half (11 carries, 51 yards, the touchdown) before falling off to just 5 carries for 17 yards after intermission as Baltimore’s offense stalled. He got 75% of his rushing yardage in the first half alone, before Baltimore’s offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Overall usage: 16 carries for 68 yards (1 TD), plus a true 4 targets/4 rec/28 yds once his penalty-erased catch is counted.”

“There is always concern about Henry’s red zone work being siphoned off by the legs of Lamar Jackson , and while the Ravens QB did have a rushing TD, Henry got plenty of work inside the 20, leading the league in rushing yards in the red zone this week. The consistency that Henry brings near paydirt should keep him as a regular on this list for most of the season.”

“The ageless Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries Sunday, becoming the focal point for the offense after receivers Zay Flowers and Jakobi Lane left with injuries.”

“Ravens Ravens RB Derrick Henry is 10th all-time in rushing going into the 2026 season with 13,018 yards. A typical season would push him all the way to No. 6 on the list ( Curtis Martin , 14,101 yards), and a classic peak Henry season could propel him past Adrian Peterson at No. 5 (14,918 yards). Henry has had over 1,900 yards rushing twice in his career.”

“Derrick Henry is being overlooked as a major value again this year. Even in a “down year,” Henry still had 16 touchdowns on his way to an RB7 finish without a full season of Lamar Jackson and on a dysfunctional offense.”

“While Henry is no spring chicken, fantasy players should have no fear drafting him as a low-end RB1. He has played 17 games in three consecutive seasons. Furthermore, the future Hall of Famer has totaled at least 1,150 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in four consecutive years, finishing as a top-eight running back every season.”

“Much like fine wine, it just seems like Derrick Henry is getting better with age. However, only the 1972 Miami Dolphins and Father Time are undefeated. King Henry is coming off a career season in which he had 27 carries in the 5-yard line. There isn't anyone challenging him on the depth chart for touches, so the only concern in 2026 is age and the departure of center Tyler Linderbaum.”

“Derrick Henry is entering his late-career danger zone, and the depth behind him is paper-thin.”

“Every season fantasy managers wonder whether Derrick Henry is finally slowing down. Jake Ciely isn't buying it. His reasoning is simple. Henry's draft cost continues to fall even though his production hasn't. Ciely also pointed out that Henry's fantasy scoring remains remarkably consistent regardless of game script, making him one of the safest veteran running backs available. At his current ADP, he's comfortable betting on Henry one more time.”

“If Lamar Jackson can bounce back, Henry could inch back closer to his 2024 production (RB4 in fantasy points per game). He's at worst a low-end RB1 with top-five upside.”

“For all of his accolades as the league's most physical runner, Henry is a non-factor in Baltimore's passing game. With 20 or fewer receptions in eight of Henry's 10 NFL seasons, a sudden shift turning him into the next Christian McCaffrey or Jahmyr Gibbs is not envisioned.”

“Derrick Henry's 30.2 Sleeper ADP is a classic case of dynasty anxiety ruining redraft logic. Managers see his age and automatically assume a total collapse, completely ignoring the fact he ran for 1,500+ yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Henry remains the ultimate hammer in a Baltimore Ravens offense that completely sanitizes his negative game scripts. He retains a locked-in monopoly on goal-line touches and high-value red-zone opportunities.”