The Philadelphia Eagles have officially ruled out star wide receiver A.J. Brown for a second consecutive game. After missing Week 2, Brown will miss Philadelphia’s matchup against the scorching-hot New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Which Eagles wide receiver will step up and fill the void created by Brown’s absence?
Here’s a closer look at the fantasy football viability of Britain Covey and Jahan Dotson in Week 3.
Should You Start Britain Covey or Jahan Dotson in Week 3?
The Eagles will face an uphill battle without Brown against the Saints in Week 3. New Orleans is home to the hottest offense in the NFL through the first two weeks of the regular season.
Since Brown joined the team in 2022, Philadelphia has struggled in both games he’s missed. The Eagles are 0-2 this season and have averaged just 15 points per game without the team’s top wide receiver.
Can Covey or Dotson step up and provide starting value in fantasy football against the Saints?
Dotson Hasn’t Made Most of Opportunities With Eagles
In Week 2, Dotson underwhelmed in his first opportunity to be WR2 in Philadelphia. Despite running the third-most routes on the Eagles (30) against the Atlanta Falcons, Dotson was targeted just once by Jalen Hurts, according to TruMedia.
Dotson hauled in his only target for just six yards as he disappointed any fantasy football owners that inserted him into their starting lineups in Week 2. It certainly seems like Dotson isn’t worth starting against the Saints.
Covey Has Jalen Hurts’ Trust, Not Targets — Yet
Meanwhile, Covey could provide value in deep, full-PPR fantasy football leagues. He was surprisingly Philadelphia’s most efficient passing target in Week 2.
Covey was targeted on a team-leading 30% of his routes run against the Falcons. Despite running just 20 total routes, Covey was targeted six times by Hurts, according to TruMedia.
Britain Covey comes in for his first snap as WR3 with the first-team offense and immediately gets wide open.
Covey is sent in motion as the ball is snapped and settles in for a clean catch and run for a first down.
This is exactly what Covey needed to prove, strong rep for him. pic.twitter.com/QPZUnRuTjF
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaPFN) August 2, 2024
Philadelphia’s former undrafted WR hauled in all six of his targets for just 23 yards. While some may be turned off by Covey’s lack of yardage, he also had a first-down catch erased by a penalty.
Given Covey’s production and high target rate in Week 2, he certainly seems like the better option to start over Dotson moving forward.
It’ll be interesting to see if Dotson can bounce back against a stout Saints’ defense in Week 3.
If not, Covey could secure the WR3 role in Philadelphia moving forward — even once Brown returns to action.