A.J. Brown & Evan Engram Ruled Out for Week 2: Fantasy Football Implications

After reportedly suffering a hamstring injury at some point during this week's practices, A.J. Brown has now officially been ruled out for the Eagles' Monday night matchup with the Falcons. Meanwhile, Jaguars TE Evan Engram has been ruled out with a hamstring injury of his own, which he suffered during the Jaguars' pre-game warmups. Luckily, both of these injuries have been confirmed in advance of the first set of games, giving us time to react. Let's break down their impacts:

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A.J. Brown Injury Fantasy Impact

Jalen Hurts

Hurts obviously must be downgraded without his top target, but he is still a viable option. With Brown out, he may use his legs more, and we all know how valuable rushing production is for fantasy quarterbacks. Unless you have another top QB option on your bench, you should probably still start Hurts.

DeVonta Smith

Smith was a must-start with Brown healthy, and that only becomes more true now. He should see a massive target share and be one of the best WR plays of the week.

Other Eagles Wide Receivers: Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson

If you roster Brown and don't have a great pivot option, it may be tempting to look toward the other Eagles receivers for help. However, I don't recommend adding and starting either Jahan Dotson or Johnny Wilson. As we saw last week with Andrei Iosivas, wide receiver production is based more on talent than role. Instead, consider these options:

Replacements For A.J. Brown

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers (59% Available)

Palmer led Chargers receivers in routes run in Week 1. He could be due for a solid outing against a Panthers defense that was just absolutely dominated by the Saints.

Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (75% Available)

With Puka Nacua out, Robinson should step in as the Rams' WR2. That role projects well for him in what could be a high-scoring divisional matchup with the Cardinals. 

Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (88% Available)

Anyone who saw 12 targets in a week, even the kind of gimmicky low-ADOT targets Wan'Dale saw, is a fantasy option. It won't be pretty, but Robinson should have a decent floor in PPR leagues.

Desperation Option: Justin Watson, Kansas City Chiefs (99.7% Available)

When in doubt, play somebody next to Patrick Mahomes. Watson saw only one target in Week 1, but he was the Chiefs' clear WR3 in terms of routes run. As a deep threat, he may only need one target to provide a solid day. 

Evan Engram Injury Fantasy Impact

Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence should be downgraded slightly, but Engram is not as key to this offense as AJB is to the Eagles. On the other hand, Lawrence does not bring the same base value as Hurts. He was already a fringe QB1, so you can absolutely bench Lawrence as a result of this news if you have another QB from a similar tier.

Christian Kirk

Engram's absence has the biggest impact on Kirk, as the two compete for underneath targets in the Jaguars' scheme. It is worrying that he ran the third-most routes among Jaguars WRs in Week 1, but he should see plenty of work this week with Engram out. That makes him a solid flex option, especially in full PPR leagues. 

Brian Thomas Jr. & Gabe Davis

Engram's absence is only a very slight boost to BTJ and Davis, who play very different roles in Jacksonville's offense than he does. If anything, the extra targets to go around may be cancelled out by slightly reduced efficiency for the offense as a whole. Don't move BTJ or Davis in or out of your lineup based on this news.

Replacements for Evan Engram

Again, we don't want to look to the Jaguars for Engram's replacement. Brenton Strange is an intriguing deep Dynasty stash, but there are better options available on most waiver wires:

Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (79% Available)

Parkinson posted a very impressive 84.3% route participation rate in Week 1. He, like Robinson above, should benefit from the absence of Puka Nacua. He can produce backend TE1 numbers, similar to how Tyler Higbee has in years before in this Rams offense. 

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (95% Available)

The Commanders are going to play fast. They're desperate for targets outside of Terry McLaurin. And Ertz (who is still younger than Travis Kelce, by the way) ran the second most routes on the team in Week 1. You can absolutely plug the veteran straight into your lineup off the waiver wire.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (84% Available)

Where Ertz was second on the Commanders in routes, Henry actually led the Patriots in Week 1. New England is another team desperate for targets, and Henry was actually a fringe TE1 in 2023 on a smaller role while splitting time with Mike Gesicki. Henry also has a nose for the end zone, which is great when streaming TEs is often simply hoping for a TD.

Desperation Option: Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys (95.5% Available)

Along with Engram, Jake Ferguson has been ruled out for Week 2. In his stead, Schoonmaker, a second-round pick in last year's draft, should be the Cowboys' lead TE. There's a chance he does absolutely nothing, but there's also a chance he steps right in with a solid performance.