A.J. Brown vs Troy Franklin: Who Should You Start?
A.J. Brown and Troy Franklin are both viable fantasy wide receivers heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. A.J. Brown averaged 12.1 PPG across 15 games with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Troy Franklin posted 8.5 PPG in 17 appearances for the Denver Broncos.
A 3.6-PPG gap gives A.J. Brown the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both are workload receivers with similar target shares. A.J. Brown turned 121 targets into 1003 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Troy Franklin converted 104 looks into 709 yards and 6 scores. When target volume is this close, game script and defensive matchup typically decide the weekly winner.
A.J. Brown has his bye in Week 5, and Troy Franklin rests in Week 14. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
