Week 5 vs. Detroit
John Brown was targeted 10 times on Sunday against the Rams, and he wound up with 75 yards on seven receptions. Brown has been an active part of the Cardinals offense, even if he hasn’t put up big time numbers yet. With his playmaking ability, it seems only a matter of time before those catches turn into big gains and scores.
This week, Brown faces a Detroit Lions defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in yards allowed through the air. He isn’t yet an elite fantasy option, but he should be able to put up good enough numbers to be a quality low-end WR2/Flex option.
Week 4 vs. St. Louis
John Brown had three catches for 62 yards in a lopsided victory over the 49ers last week. He was targeted five times, but the talented sophomore has definitely established himself as a key part of the offense. He’s been on the field for 83 percent of the Cardinals offensive plays so far this season and has been a reliable second receiving option for Carson Palmer behind Larry Fitzgerald.
This week, Brown faces a tough Rams defense, but should continue to get looks in the offense. He has starting value, but fantasy owners should temper their expectations a bit against such a physical secondary and a devastating defensive line. Brown is a borderline WR2 option for fantasy owners.
Week 3 vs. San Francisco
John Brown had another modest yardage outing, but he seems to have taken a more prominent role in the offense than Michael Floyd, and he ended up catching all five of the passes thrown his way on Sunday against the Bears. He only ended up with 45 yards, but he’s an active part of the offense and should continue to be going forward.
This week, he’ll face a 49ers defense that got torched by the Steelers passing game last week, but fared well against the Vikings in Week 1. It’s likely San Francisco will fall somewhere in between against the Cardinals this week, making Brown a solid option in all fantasy formats as a low-end WR2 or Flex option.
Week 2 at Chicago
John Brown was a breakout candidate heading into the season and he began the year with a ten-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter against the Saints. Brown is a talented player who will likely battle incumbent starter Michael Floyd all season for snaps and targets, but won the battle in Week 1. He was targeted seven times, even though he only caught four balls for 46 yards total on the day.
This week, Brown will face a vulnerable Chicago Bears defense that is exploding with inexperience in the secondary. While his status on the depth chart makes him a bit risky, Maclin should be targeted heavily again in a nice matchup and is worthy of WR2 consideration in all fantasy leagues.
Week 1 vs. New Orleans
John Brown is a fast receiver out of Pittsburgh State who is entering his sophomore year after a nice rookie season. He finished with nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns last season, despite playing in a limited role. With starter Michael Floyd possibly out with dislocated fingers, and Carson Palmer healthy to start the season, Brown has as much upside as anyone trying to make the jump to legit fantasy relevance.
Brown gets to face the Saints in Week 1, which helps his status as a potential sleeper. The Saints gave up over 4,000 yards through the air last year and only managed 34 sacks on the season (both stats ranked in the bottom third of the league). Brown is risky because he’s still largely unproven, but if Floyd sits out, he could be a sleeper option for fantasy owners looking in that 25-35 ranking area for a WR2/WR3.
Fantasy Upside
John Brown was one of the highlights of the Cardinals' 2014 season. Looked at as the speed guy, someone on the field to help take the top off of the defense, Brown is expecting to be even better in 2015 than he was as a rookie. Last season, Brown caught his 48 passes on 103 targets, averaging 14.5 yards per reception. His longest catch went for 75 yards. More than half of his receptions came on passes thrown 10 yards or more, as the team's other receivers worked closer to the line of scrimmage.
Fantasy Downside
Coaches have noticed that Brown isn't getting knocked around like last year. This after Brown added 10 pounds of muscle, mostly to his upper body this offseason. Brown is still listed as the same size as last year: 5-11 and 179 pounds, but if the added strength "helps me with press coverage and things like that, I'll give a lot of people trouble in this league," he said. We'll see. The real test will come when contact begins in training camp in late July.
Bottom Line
"In all," ArizonaSports.com's Adam Green noted, "Brown played the role of burner about as well as one could have, though he thinks he could emerge as the team's top option in the passing game this year. ..." That would certainly be news to Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. Still, fantasy owners looking for the best value among the three should keep an eye on Brown -- especially if Carson Palmer is recovered from his ACL and ready to roll Week 1, as expected.
Wildcard Weekend – John Brown vs. Carolina
John Brown was targeted nine times against the 49ers last week, catching four passes for 51 yards on the day. He’s still behind Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald on the depth chart, but that doesn’t mean he won’t out produce both of them. The Cardinals use all three guys, and have an inconsistent passing game, making it difficult to trust any of them consistently. Brown has a little upside, but is ultimately too risky to bank on. We have him just outside our top 15 receivers for wildcard weekend.
Week 17 – John Brown vs. San Francisco
John Brown had three catches and 54 yards last week against Seattle, and he continues to look like a promising young receiver in the league. This week, he faces a tough 49ers pass defense though and the Cardinals’ still are on their third starting quarterback of the season. That doesn’t bode well for Brown or any of the Arizona receivers, and fantasy owners should view him as a dynasty bench player only at this time.
Week 16 – John Brown vs. Seattle
John Brown had two catches for 22 yards last week against the Rams. He faces a tough Seahawks defense that ranks first in the league against the pass this year, and is currently firing on all cylinders. With Ryan Lindley set to start in place of the injured Drew Stanton this week, all the Cardinals receivers should be avoided in fantasy leagues.
Week 15 – John Brown vs. St. Louis
John Brown didn’t catch a pass last week against the Chiefs, and the Cardinals passing offense has been inconsistent all season, especially lately with Drew Stanton at the helm. Against the Rams this week, it’s possible that Brown could have a nice day, but as the WR3 on a team that just got back Larry Fitzgerald from injury, it’s unlikely that Brown will put up the kind of consistent numbers to make him a viable fantasy starter. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere.
