Does A.J. Brown have fantasy football value in 2019?

Does A.J. Brown have fantasy football value in 2019?

Tennessee Titans second-round pick A.J. Brown is a promising rookie receiver, but what kind of fantasy football value does he hold in 2019?

Brown compiled 2,572 yards and 17 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Ole Miss, and he’s a physical receiver with good hands who can turn small gains into big ones. There’s no doubt Brown has No. 1 receiver potential if he can develop.

The problem for Brown is that he was hurt for much of training camp after suffering a leg injury on the first day. Brown is healthy now and did play in the Titans’ second and third preseason games, but missed practice time can no doubt slow a rookie’s development.

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We’ve seen a few flashes from Brown during the preseason and the talent is certainly there, but will it rise to the surface in his first season?

Does Brown have standalone value?

This is the least likely of the scenarios in which Brown will have value.

Rookie receivers are already unpredictable. Now throw in the fact that Brown goes into the 2019 season as the No. 4 option at best on a Titans passing offense that should be run-heavy. The top options ahead of him in the pecking order are Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, and Delanie Walker.

Of course, with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith likely to run more three-receiver sets, Brown’s prospects are a bit better than most Titans receivers in his position from year’s past. However, it’s not enough to say he has standalone value at this point.

Instead, Brown will only see his value improve if either of the Titans’ top receivers get hurt.

Corey Davis/Adam Humphries handcuff

If you’re investing in Davis in particular, Brown is a solid player to keep stashed. The former No. 5 overall pick should be a top-25 receiver at worst this season, and if you’re depending on him as a WR2 on your roster, it might help to get some backup with Brown.

Brown can play both in the slot and on the outside, which he showed during his days at Ole Miss. If Davis were to miss time, Brown would immediately be thrust into the potential for No. 1 receiver production that Davis leaves behind.

Of course, the likelihood of you depending on Humphries as much as you might depend on Davis is slim. Humphries will be an important part of the Titans offense, but there are just too many factors working against him to match or better his fantasy production from 2018.

Still, if you see Humphries go down to injury, Brown could step in as the slot receiver, and at worst he would become the No. 3 option if he remains on the outside. That would make him a viable starting option in plus matchups.

Bench stash/Keeper for 2020

Brown could have his weeks, but if you’re investing in him in any way, shape or form, chances are it’s with an eye on the future.

The truth is, Brown should spend the vast majority of his time on your bench, if on your roster at all. Until we see him have that eruption game that puts him on the fantasy map, he simply isn’t safe to start with so many mouths to feed in the Titans passing game.

If you decide to stash him at the back end of your bench, he might turn out to be a solid keeper option for the 2020 season. That is, if he can show anything in 2019 first.