Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown is out for Monday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons due to a hamstring injury. While many assumed Brown would return in Week 3, he surprisingly admitted that he expects to miss a couple of weeks.
A.J. Brown Injury Update
Philadelphia’s offense will need to learn how to function without Brown for a couple of weeks. According to Lisa Salters of ESPN, Brown stated that “he does not think it’s too serious. He does expect to miss a couple of weeks.”
Eagles WR AJ Brown told ESPN’s @saltersl that he does expect to miss a couple of weeks due to the hamstring injury he suffered Friday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2024
This is a monumental loss for the Eagles, as Brown is the clear WR1 in Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts has leaned on Brown as his top target since he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love in 2022. DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson are expected to be the team’s top WR duo during Brown’s absence.
The Eagles learned how important Brown is to the offense in last season’s postseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now Hurts, Smith, Dotson and Philadelphia’s other playmakers will need to step up once again with the team’s top wide receiver set to miss multiple games.
Fantasy Implications of Brown’s Injury
With Brown missing in action for the Eagles’ offense, we should see a swing in target share
The first player up will be Devonta Smith, whose smooth route running allows him to be a WR1 even when Brown is active.
Jahan Dotson will need to step up and show why Howie Roseman traded for the young former first-round pick. Dotson can cut on a dime in his routes, which helps build separation from his defenders. Dotson should slide into the slot role, while Smith will focus on running routes as an outside receiver.
Tight end Dallas Goedert will be someone who can elevate from the middle of his position’s pack, as he is one of the more talented tight ends in the NFL. With Brown inactive, he will receive a bigger target share and will create mismatches against slower linebackers or smaller safeties.
We can also expect Saquon Barkley to put more of the load on his shoulders as the Eagles lean into the run game to utilize one of their best playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
— Joe Pepe, PFN Fantasy Analyst