The case can be made for Amon-Ra St. Brown as the single most stable entity in fantasy football and maybe in fantasy sports altogether. He continues to deliver copy/paste versions of the same season, and that makes him a very easy player to build a solid roster around, as there appears to be almost no risk in the profile of Detroit’s top receiver.
Should You Draft Amon-Ra St. Brown in Fantasy Football?
In PFN’s Free Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator, St. Brown has an ADP of 8.2, so he’s a late first-round pick in the grand scheme of things. PFN’s fantasy football analysts Jason Katz and Kyle Soppe combined have St. Brown as the sixth overall player on their board. He’s currently being projected at 18.43 points per game in PPR formats.
St. Brown is the definition of consistency. He’s had over 1,000 receiving yards in every season since his rookie year, and even in that rookie year, he had 900 yards. Last season, he had 117 receptions and 11 touchdowns. He is the focal point of that Lions offense.
One thing I want to point to is the Lions appointing Drew Petzing as their new offensive coordinator. Say what you want about the efficiency of those Cardinals offenses, but they threw the ball a lot. Guys like Trey McBride put up big numbers. Michael Wilson surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.
Marvin Harrison Jr. put up good numbers when he was healthy. St. Brown is certainly better than both Wilson and Harrison. I anticipate this passing attack is going to lean a little bit more toward a heavy aerial assault. I think St. Brown is going to put up really big numbers like he has each of the last few seasons.
With that ADP of 8.2, I’d certainly take a shot at him. I don’t know if his ceiling is as high as somebody like Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or Ja’Marr Chase, but he’s incredibly safe. I think he’s as safe as a fantasy football pick can get. Amon-Ra is a surgical, precise route runner with incredible hands, and I think he’s going to put up big numbers in that Detroit offense. I would take him at his current ADP.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis provided by PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe.
I’m open to the idea that Jameson Williams could be the top-producing WR in this explosive offense at times, but not when Detroit is listed as a big favorite.
Since 2024, Top WR Games When Detroit is Favored By 6+
Week 2, 2025: St. Brown
Week 11, 2024: St. Brown
Week 12, 2025: St. Brown
Week 16, 2024: Williams
Week 4, 2025: St. Brown
Week 10, 2025: Williams
Week 2, 2024: St. Brown
Week 11, 2024: Williams
Week 7, 2025: St. Brown
Week 16, 2024: St. Brown
Week 2, 2025: Williams
Week 9, 2025: St. Brown
Week 5, 2025: St. Brown
Week 10, 2025: St. Brown
That’s a 10-4 edge for St. Brown, and I see no reason to think that changes in 2026. Through the first six weeks of last season, the Lions’ WR1 had 44 catches on 51 targets with 6 scores.
This team isn’t shy about scheming to his strengths, and as dangerous as JaMo can be on single plays, St. Brown is the better profile when it comes to exposing a defense that allowed the 10th-highest opponent pass TD% in 2025 (6%, league average: 4.9%).
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Where St. Brown Ranks Among 2026 Wide Receivers
- Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
- Puka Nacua | LAR
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
- Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
- Justin Jefferson | MIN
- CeeDee Lamb | DAL
- Malik Nabers | NYG
- Drake London | ATL
- Nico Collins | HOU
- A.J. Brown | NE
- George Pickens | DAL
Check the full position group on PFN’s 2026 PPR Wide Receiver Board.
