AJ Brown or Garrett Wilson Start 'Em Sit 'Em: WR projections for fantasy Week 3
AJ Brown and Garrett Wilson are two wide receivers who fantasy owners love as their production has been good early on this season. Brown had a great Week 1 as he got 15.9 points in PPR leagues.
Week 2 was a different story, as the Eagles wideout only managed just 6.9 fantasy points.
Wilson started the 2023 season with 14.4 points in fantasy, while going up to 16.3 points last week. This week sees both players in some interesting matchups against two solid defenses.
The question is which of these wideouts is the better option to start this week on your fanatsy team.
Is AJ Brown a good fantasy pick?
Given his average ADP as the 15th-best overall player in PPR leagues, Brown is as good a fantasy pick there is. Last season proved how good of a receiver he is when it comes to fantasy football. His 299.6 points found him as a top 10 receiver in PPR in 2022.
Being the No. 1 target for quarterback Jalen Hurts helps a great deal as well. This season, he leads the Eagles in targets (16) and is tied with teammate DeVonta Smith with 11 receptions.
The two-time Pro Bowler is on pace for another solid season for fantasy owners. Many in fantasy build their roster around a player like Brown with good reason. While some owners showed some concern with his effort last week, Week 3 should get him back on track.
One question that remains moving forward is that of Smith's role in the Eagles passing attack. Smith is the team's leader in yards (178) and touchdowns (2). It didn't stop Brown from having the great 2022 season, but it's still a minor worry to fantasy owners.
All things considered, AJ Brown will be a top fantasy start in pretty much every game dependent upon his health moving forward this season.
Is Garrett Wilson a good fantasy pick?
In just his second season, Garrett Wilson is already a top 10 wideout in PPR leagues as he's the ninth-best at his position. The 23-year-old had a breakout season in fantasy last year with 215.7 points in PPR, putting him in the top 25 among receivers in points.
He was targeted 147 times last season, tied for the seventh-most in the NFL. However, fantasy owners of Wilson were concerned when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was ruled out this season with an Achilles injury.
It was expected that Rodgers would boost Wilson, thus helping his fantasy stock even more. With Zach Wilson under center, it doesn't seem to change the wideout's status in PPR leagues in the short term.
The reality is that last season's Offensive Rookie of the Year might see that dip without Rodgers under center. Teams that drafted the Jets star wideout took him within the first three rounds of their draft.
Will New York lean on Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook with the run more? If so, the concern mentioned earlier could be a real thing. For now, Wilson's value still falls no lower than a WR2 in most fantasy matchups. Fantasy owners are banking on last season's production this week and beyond.
Also read: Tutu Atwell or Jerry Jeudy Start Em' Sit Em' Week 3 Fantasy
AJ Brown vs Garrett Wilson: Who should I start?
Both could be good starts in Week 3 as they could be in for big-time efforts. Brown faces a Buccaneers defense that runs plenty of zone. Wilson goes against a Patriots defense that has been good against the pass early on.
Per the Sportskeeda Start 'Em/Sit 'Em optimizer, go with Brown over Wilson in Week 3.
AJ Brown's high fantasy projection comes from the aforementioned Buccaneers zone defense. Tampa Bay uses its cornerbacks in a zone on 76-83% of its coverage snaps per FantasyPros. Brown has a 23.1% target share, which is second to Smith on the Eagles.
There's a chance that Brown will find the endzone on Monday night as the superstar looks to regain his form.
Week 3 is a game where Wilson will himself as a WR3 in PPR fantasy leagues versus the Patriots at MetLife Stadium. According to FantasyPros, the Jets receiver holds a 24.5% target share and a 48.5% air-yard share. This is great, but it's only amounted to six targets and 58.5 receiving yards per game.
Wilson will likely be seeing rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez for the majority of the game. You can start him if you need a flex player but save that WR slot for someone with a better matchup this week.