🏆 The market is wrong about A.J. Brown — here's why

Drake Maye ranked 4th in accuracy on deep passes last season. Jalen Hurts ranked 28th. Here's why the fit in New England changes everything. JOIN PFF+ ANALYSIS FANTASY MDS RANKINGS

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July 14, 2026 4:20pm EDT

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Why A.J. Brown is a Third-Round Steal

Training camp is right around the corner, with some rookies reporting as early as Friday. Camp and preseason buzz is bound to shake up plenty of ADPs. Until then, there are values to be found throughout the draft, and knowing where you can get a player at a discount is what lets you shape your strategy at each position around those bargains. Our perfect draft strategy series combines rankings and consensus ADP to build the best possible roster for your league size, and they will be updated throughout the offseason as rankings and ADP shift, so you always have the most current version.

One of those values in 12-team leagues is A.J. Brown, early in the third round. Brown entered 2025 as the top-ranked receiver but saw a dip in production, with speculation that situational frustration, rather than physical decline, was the cause, as Philadelphia's dominant rushing attack repeatedly turned him into a spectator in lopsided wins. He was traded to New England, where he reunited with head coach Mike Vrabel and is now the clear top skill player on the roster.

The fit looks promising. Brown's 12.8 average depth of target over the past three seasons is the highest among the top 10 receivers by PFF grade, and Drake Maye ranked fourth among quarterbacks in accuracy on passes of 13 or more yards at 49.7%, compared to Jalen Hurts at 36.8%, third-lowest among the top 30. Brown ranks seventh among receivers in our fantasy rankings, making him a steal at his current price.

Check out the full 12-team perfect draft strategy to see which players and positions to target in each round. If you need them, here are the 10-team and 14-team strategies as well.

Nathan Jahnke

Lead Fantasy Football Analyst

GET YOUR PERFECT DRAFT STRATEGY

Five Players Who Can Win You a League in 2026

Chase Brown has ranked inside the top 10 among running backs in fantasy points per game two straight seasons. When Joe Burrow is fully healthy, that number jumps to 22.3 points per game — second-best at the position. Nathan makes the case for Brown as a must-have in 2026, plus four more players worth targeting before camp reshuffles the board.

FIND YOUR 2026 LEAGUE WINNER

Three Dark Horse Wide Receiver Who Could Finish No.1 in 2026

The Titans took Carnell Tate fourth overall, and the target share setup he's walking into mirrors exactly what Malik Nabers had in his rookie breakout — because the same coordinator is running the offense. Nathan breaks down Tate's path to a top-five WR finish as a rookie, plus the other receivers outside the elite tier who have a realistic shot at the No. 1 overall spot this season. One of them might already be on your roster for less than you think.

Plus: check out the three dark horse quarterbacks Nathan thinks could finish No. 1 overall.

SEE ALL THREE CANDIDATES

Every Format. Every Position. One Rankings Page.

The PFF fantasy rankings tool covers every format you draft in — PPR, Half-PPR, Standard, Dynasty and Best Ball. Back this season: IDP rankings, now built by Nathan, who has finished top-10 in FantasyPros' in-season accuracy competition for IDP in six consecutive years. Whether you're in a traditional redraft league or a long-running dynasty league, the rankings you need are all in one place and updated throughout the offseason.

VIEW THE RANKINGS

🏆 The market is wrong about A.J. Brown — here's why

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