John Brown

Fantasy Upside

Is it too easy to just slot in John Brown for all of Nelson Agholor’s production last season? Agholor put up 48 receptions for 896 yards and an impressive eight touchdowns last year and is now in New England. Brown seems like the most likely option for that spot in the lineup, after coming over from the Bills. Prior to an injury-riddled 2020 season, Brown put up 1,060 yards and six touchdowns for Buffalo in 2019. There’s no reason to think the Raiders will regress offensively, so the opportunity is there for Brown to put up solid WR2 numbers some weeks.

Fantasy Downside

Brown has missed games every season of his career and is now starting a relationship with a new quarterback, in a new city, at age 31. He played in just nine games last year and it’s unclear how much speed he’s lost as he’s gotten older and racked up injuries. Additionally, while Agholor’s numbers were solid at times in this role, they were wildly inconsistent. Brown may be a better best ball target than redraft, allowing owners to avoid picking which weeks to start him.

2021 Bottom Line

Brown is a low-cost option for fantasy owners looking at wide receiver depth on their rosters. He’s available in the late-15th round, about the time drafters are looking for their WR5 or WR6, and he’s a nice addition at that cost. Brown fits best on a roster with some uncertainty at the WR2 and WR3 spots, as a last-ditch effort to fill in production.