A.J.

Brown

The Eagles could climb as high as the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a victory and a Lions win over Chicago, and Garafolo believes they could beat Washington with some of their key starters resting for the postseason. That could include Jalen Hurts, which would mean Tanner McKee could see significant playing time against a Commanders defense being bludgeoned by opposing QBs. If Saquon Barkley sits, Tank Bigsby — who has been ultra efficient as an Eagle — could see a full workload against the Swiss cheese Washington run defense. It’s a situation to monitor for fantasy managers playing in Week 18 championships.

Brown made a few tough catches in the first half with defenders in close coverage and the yardage gave him his fourth-straight 1,000-yard receiving season. However, the Eagles’ offense gained just 19 total yards in the second half, so there was not much for Brown after his early drives. We’d expect more production next week against a Commanders team that Brown just posted 95 yards against a week ago.

Neither is Devonta Smith (illness), and both figure to remain involved borderline WR1 and borderline WR2 starters, respectively, in Week 17 fantasy championships. Brown practiced in full today and should be good to go.

Brown had his wisdom teeth removed earlier in the week and was listed as a DNP on Wednesday and Thursday. Brown isn’t expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Bills, but his return is notable after two days away. We will check back in regarding his Week 17 availability when the team releases its final practice report in a few hours.

As The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McClane points out, Brown told reporters yesterday that he was having his wisdom teeth removed this week. We would assume that won’t prevent him from suiting up on Sunday. Fantasy managers should still keep an eye on the Eagles’ injury report this week, just to be sure. As long as Brown is back at practice by Friday, he will be a high-ceiling WR2 in a potential shootout with the Bills.

Brown was a non-factor in the second half as the Eagles were so effective running the football, but he was able to snag several catches in the first 30 minutes to make it a solid — if unspectacular — fantasy day. It’s the fourth time in five games that Brown has gone for at least 90 yards, and it’s worth noting that one game he didn’t was a 31-0 drubbing of the Raiders. Brown remains a WR1 for Week 17 against the Bills.

As Fowler notes, the Eagles would eat a $20 million cap hit if he is traded before June 1st. They would gain $7 million in cap space if he were moved after that date. Brown has made his discontent with the Philly offense public on many occasions this year and in previous seasons. His play has also dropped in 2025. He played 13 games in 2024 and just hit 13 this season. Brown had over 200 more yards on just three extra catches at this point last year. Whether or not a trade happens, you better believe it will be one of the biggest talking points of the offseason.

With something of a scrimmage atmosphere taking hold as the Eagles toyed with the embarrassing Raiders, Brown provided the final score of 31-0 when he found the soft spot between three Raiders defenders on the first play of the fourth quarter. His 27-yard touchdown was the signal for Philly to rest its starters, which it did for the final 13:17. Embarrassing for Vegas and frustrating for fantasy managers, but fully understandable for the Eagles, who now have a short-week (Saturday) game with the awful Commanders. Despite the bad Philly vibes and his up-and-down season, Brown will be a clear-cut WR1 for the fantasy semis.

Brown’s solid fantasy performance was mired by a couple key plays. Early in the first quarter, Brown was seen “taking a play off” on a screen to DeVonta Smith, missing two opportunities to lay a block. Smith was tackled for a minimal gain. Later in the game, Brown saw a pass deflect off his hands and into the defender’s, resulting in one of four Jalen Hurts interceptions on the evening. Brown has now hit the 100-yard threshold in three consecutive games, all three of which were losses by the Eagles. He’ll get a much more forgiving matchup in Week 15 against the Raiders.

Brown was easily the best player on the field for the Eagles on Friday, and the social media complaints should be kept to a low roar. He snagged a leading grab for his first score, and he showed off his strength by beating a tackler on a short throw for his second. That’s three touchdowns in two games for Brown, and he’s now reached 100 yards in back-to-back contests. There’s a decent chance he’ll be able to do it a third time in Week 14 against the Chargers in a Monday Night Football tilt.