A.J. Brown: misses Thursday practice as knee flares up

THE FACT. Patriots receiver A.J. Brown did not practice Thursday because of a knee issue that has flared up, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Brown had been limited Wednesday with ankle and knee designations, and New England has not ruled him out for Sunday's road game against Miami.

THE VERDICT. Going backward from limited on Wednesday to out on Thursday is the wrong direction with one practice left. Redraft: line up a replacement now and treat Brown as a game-time call rather than a lock. DFS: fade him until Friday's designation, because a questionable tag on a flared-up knee usually means a snap-count ceiling even if he plays. Dynasty: no panic, but a recurring knee on top of an earlier high ankle sprain is worth tracking.