Marquise

Brown

Following a 10-catch, 99-yard performance in Week 1 against the Chargers, Brown was a non-factor in the pass-heavy Kansas City offense this season, totaling 536 yards and four touchdowns over 16 games. As the third or fourth option in the passing offense, Brown was treated as a rotational player even when the Chiefs struggled with wideout absences. After a highly disappointing two-year run with KC, Brown will likely play elsewhere in 2026. He’ll be a free agent this offseason.

Brown has caught more than three passes in two of his last 10 appearances. He has more than five grabs in just one game. That came all the way back in Week 1, when Rashee Rice was still suspended and Xavier Worthy left on the opening drive with a shoulder injury. Brown hasn’t been able to find a consistent role in the offense this year and even the loss of Rashee Rice over the past two weeks hasn’t changed that. He is not on the fantasy radar for Week 18.

Returning from a one-game absence with a personal issue, Brown caught his most passes since Week 11. Even with Rashee Rice (concussion) on the shelf, it was quite an accomplishment with Chris Oladokun replacing an injured Gardner Minshew (knee) in the second quarter. With or without Rice, Brown will remain well off the WR4 radar for Week 16 against the Broncos. Already going nowhere, this offense will be completely off the rails with Oladokun under center.

Brown will sit out Kansas City’s crucial Week 15 tilt against the Chargers for personal reasons. His absence could open up more routes and targets for JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Chiefs will also be without McDuffie, making Justin Herbert’s matchup a little better. Herbert is a borderline option in one-QB leagues even with McDuffie out.

Brown accounts for 13.8 percent (60) of the Chiefs’ targets this season and currently ranks as the WR40 in half-PPR scoring. His absence should free up a few targets for the remaining players. The Chiefs (6-7) are in must-win mode as they take on the Chargers (9-4).

Brown’s fourth quarter touchdown was his first road score since the 2022 season while with the Cardinals. He continued to play well behind the top trio of Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, and Xavier Worthy, keeping him heavily reliant on touchdowns to return usable fantasy weeks. That is unlikely to change ahead of a difficult matchup with the Texans in Week 14.

Brown has caught more than two passes one time over his past five games. He opened the year as an emergency WR1 for the Chiefs. He has since been relegated to rotational No. 3 duties with Xavier Worthy healthy and Rashee Rice active. Fantasy managers shouldn’t worry about Brown for Week 13, even in a good matchup versus the Cowboys.

Brown played only 30 snaps — behind Noah Gray and splitting time with JuJu Smith-Schuster — en route to this line. With Tyquan Thornton also mixing in for some deep shots, Brown looks to be in the FLEX touchdown-or-bust bucket in Week 12 against the Colts.

We never love to see a mid-week downgrade. If Worthy isn’t able to make it to Sunday, Hollywood Brown will get a fantasy boost against the Broncos. A healthy Worthy is probably a WR3 play against the Broncos’ stellar defense in Week 11, while Brown stepping into the second receiver role would probably be a FLEX play.

Both of Brown’s catches were on busted coverages, with one going for 40 yards and the other for 33 yards. It’s nice to see the veteran being used on big plays down the field, but his role remains a small one, and he really benefited from defensive lapses in this game. You can likely find better options on your waiver wire.