Marquise Brown‘s time with the Arizona Cardinals appears to be at an end. But while there, he proved capable of being a team’s top option. What are some potential landing spots for Brown and what would they mean for his fantasy football value?
Potential Landing Spots for Marquise Brown
The Panthers Sign Brown To Be Bryce Young’s Top Target
Perhaps Bryce Young isn’t the answer. After all, C.J. Stroud was instantly able to take the Houston Texans to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Young’s Carolina Panthers finished with the worst record in football. However, we won’t really know until we see Young get a chance to work with some better weapons.
Last season, Young’s top receiver was 33-year-old Adam Thielen. He didn’t have a single capable NFL-level talent aside from the aging veteran. Brown would give Young not only a player who can stretch the field deep but also a reliable option underneath.
If the Panthers sign Brown, he should immediately take over as the team’s WR1. After Thielen faded over the second half of the 2023 season, fantasy managers would want to enter the 2024 season viewing Brown as the only fantasy-relevant receiver on this team, pending what the Panthers do in the NFL Draft.
We’ve seen Brown post WR1 numbers during stretches. He did it over the first six games of the 2022 season when DeAndre Hopkins was suspended. He also scored between 16.1 and 17.4 fantasy points in every game from Weeks 2-5 last year.
The discourse surrounding Brown will likely not be overly positive should he sign with the Panthers, potentially making him a value WR3 in fantasy drafts.
Brown Serves as Complement to Rashee Rice, Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs
I’ve done a few of these landing spot articles, and the Kansas City Chiefs keep popping up. They’ve needed a WR2 for quite literally the entirety of Patrick Mahomes‘ career and a WR1 for the past two seasons since Tyreek Hill was traded.
Brown would give Mahomes a downfield threat far more capable than Marquez Valdes-Scantling ever was. Mahomes averaged a career-low 18.4 fantasy points per game with a rotation of wide receivers that really should’ve been no more than roster depth. Rashee Rice gave Mahomes a top target, but he was still a rookie and isn’t quite a complete receiver just yet.
Brown is a great fit in Kansas City because he and Rice should mesh quite well. Both are capable as the underneath guy, but Brown is far more adept at beating teams over the top, something the Chiefs have struggled to do the past two seasons.
Given Rice’s 4.8 aDOT (average depth of target), it seems unlikely he will suddenly be catching passes that travel far in the air. Mahomes could utilize Rice the same way he has been while taking shots at Brown.
Hollywood in Kansas City would only slightly ding Rice’s fantasy value. Both would likely be WR2s in 2024 fantasy drafts.
Titans Pair Brown With DeAndre Hopkins, Give Will Levis Two Quality Starters at WR
Hopkins is getting up there in age. He’s obviously not quite as good as he was during his prime Houston years, but Hopkins’ decline does appear to be gradual. Given his skill set, he could very well remain effective until the age of 33-34.
Now in his age-32 season, the Tennessee Titans would do well to allow Hopkins to retreat into a more complementary role. They shouldn’t ask him to be the No. 1 guy anymore.
After operating mostly close to the line of scrimmage in 2022, Hopkins was utilized more downfield last season. That led to an increase in yards per reception from 11.2 to 14.1 but a plummet in catch rate from 66.7% to 55.5%.
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Will Levis has a huge arm and needs someone who can beat the defense deep. However, it would do well for that guy to not be Hopkins, as the veteran receiver is better served being Levis’ safety blanket and chain-mover.
Brown’s presence would give the Titans a secondary threat. His blazing speed would contrast well with Hopkins’ precision route running and elite hands.
The Titans need to add a receiver to help Levis take the next step. Getting Brown could be the key to turning Levis into a viable fantasy quarterback. Both Brown and Hopkins would likely be fantasy WR3s if on the same team in Tennessee.
