Fantasy football: How the A.J. Brown trade affects the 2026 outlook for Eagles, Patriots - ESPN

The worst-kept secret in the NFL has finally come to fruition: A.J. Brown has been traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.

Below is a breakdown of how the trade affects the key fantasy contributors on each team.

A.J. Brown — Business as usual

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Brown was a heavily targeted No. 1 pass catcher in a good Eagles offense and the expectation is that he'll be the same with the reigning AFC champion Patriots. Brown has finished no lower than seventh among wide receivers in target share in each of the past seven seasons and he finished in the top 15 in fantasy points per game in each of his four seasons with the Eagles. His quarterback situation is a bit better, as Drake Maye paced the NFL in both completion rate (72%) and yards per attempt (8.9) last season (compared to 65% and 7.1 for Jalen Hurts). There's always a bit of uncertainty when a player changes teams, but Brown is in his prime at 29 years old and well positioned for another run at a WR1 fantasy campaign.

Brown's 2026 projection: 130 targets, 86 receptions, 1,216 yards, 7 TDs

Drake Maye — Slight upgrade

Maye finished last season second among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game and he tied top scorer Josh Allen with a position-best 10 top-10 fantasy weeks. Maye also finished in the top five among quarterbacks in completions, passing yards, passing TDs, carries and rushing yards. That said, it's hard to expect much more from Maye, though the addition of Brown certainly could help make another leap. The 24-year-old's schedule will be a bit tougher