Fantasy Upside
John Brown shouldn't be overlooked in an offense chock full of weapons; he was second on the team with 65 catches last season, topping the 1,000-yard mark (1,003) and scoring seven touchdowns while averaging 15.4 yards per reception. One of the quickest receivers in the league, he thrives on beating overmatched nickel backs off the line and taking advantage of defenses focusing on the other weapons around him. It's worth noting Brown's progression during his first two years. He had 48 catches for 696 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2014 before picking up the pace last year. Most significantly, his targets were about the same each season (103 and 101), so hopefully Carson Palmer continues to look his way even more in 2016.
Fantasy Downside
The main issue with Brown's value is his tendency to be a lightning-in-a-bottle proposition -- three games with 99-plus yards last season, but nine with fewer than 70.
2016 Bottom Line
As mentioned above, there is competition for targets with Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald. One could argue Brown would have been more productive if it weren't for a hamstring injury that kept him from playing against Cleveland and kept him catch-less in Seattle. Whatever the case, all three Arizona receivers will be drafted in most formats and you're going to have to pay a similar price for any of the three. All of them -- including Brown -- seem like solid values despite the crowded depth chart.
