Why AJ Brown Is A Top-10 Fantasy Football WR Despite The Eagles' Run-Heavy Scheme

AJ Brown enters the 2025 fantasy football season with WR1 upside as the Philadelphia Eagles attempt to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after making a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

AJ Brown continues to be one of fantasy football’s most dominant receivers, posting WR5 and WR6 finishes in back-to-back seasons (2022 and 2023) despite injuries and inconsistent usage late in 2024. With a clean bill of health and a proven connection with Jalen Hurts, Brown is poised for another big year—even if the Eagles lean slightly more on the ground game.

AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles threw the ball 81 more times to their wide receivers in 2022, giving Brown a significantly better opportunity than I expected. He finished with career-highs in catches (88), receiving yards (1,496), and targets (145) while scoring 11 touchdowns and gaining an impressive 17.0 yards per catch. 

Brown gained 20 or more yards on 26.1% of his catches. His best output came in five games (10/155, 6/156/3, 8/119/2, 9/181, and 6/103). He averaged 8.5 targets (a 23.1% increase) for his final year in Tennessee.

After two dull games (7/79 and 4/29) in 2024, Brown turned into an absolute beast over the next seven weeks (9/131, 9/175/2, 6/127, 7/131, 10/137/1, 8/130/2, and 7/66/1). He averaged 16.0 yards per catch and 25.96 fantasy points in PPR formats over this span. 

His connection with Jalen Hurts wasn’t the same over his final eight matchups, leading to only four viable showings (5/37/1, 8/114, 9/94, and 6/80). Brown was only on the field for 12 snaps in Week 18 while sitting out the Eagles’ playoff game with a knee issue. He finished fifth in wide receiver scoring (291.60 fantasy points) in PPR formats.

AJ Brown posted this earlier.
You're going to want to watch this.
🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/JVabDKUpJq

— BirdGang🦅 (@GordonsWord) July 31, 2025

After finishing as a top 6 wideout in back-to-back years, Brown missed three games early in the season with a hamstring issue. He opened 2024 with five catches for 119 yards and one touchdown on 10 targets, followed up by two productive games (6/116/1 and 5/89/1). Over his final 10 matchups, Brown played well in four games (5/109, 6/109/1, 8/110/1, and 8/97/1), with a floor of double-digit fantasy points in four other contests (5/84, 5/65/ 5/66, and 3/36/1). 

Philadelphia rested Brown in Week 18. In the postseason, his only winning day (6/96/1) came in a high-scoring affair against the Commanders. He played through a knee injury over the final two months.

AJ Brown 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

In the early draft season, Brown slipped to WR11 in PPR formats. His success last year, prorated to 17 games, came to 88 catches for 1,411 yards and nine touchdowns, putting him within range of a top-seven wide receiver, even with the Eagles focusing more on the run in 2024. Brown should have a 90-catch floor, leading to 1,350+ yards and a chance at double-digit touchdowns if he plays a full season and Philadelphia has a slight uptick in passing chances.