Downs secured seven of 10 targets for 72 yards in the Colts' 30-20 loss to the Bills on Sunday. He also recovered a fumble.
It was a mixed bag of a day for Downs, who led the Colts in receptions and targets while checking in second in receiving yards. The second-year wideout also recovered an Adonai Mitchell fumble to keep the ball for the Colts, but he dropped a would-be touchdown late in the first quarter that would have erased a 10-3 deficit. Downs does have much better chemistry with Joe Flacco than with Anthony Richardson at the moment, but it remains to be seen if the latter will be getting another shot at the starting job in the near future.
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Colts' Josh Downs: WRs to Start
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Downs just had his first down game in four outings with Joe Flacco in Week 9 at Minnesota with six catches for 60 yards on nine targets for 12 PPR points. Prior to that, Downs had scored at least 15.9 PPR points in the first three games that Flacco appeared, and I like that the Vikings game showed the floor for Downs. He has at least nine targets in every game with Flacco, and I don't expect that to change against the Bills. It's not an easy matchup since Buffalo is No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but I like Downs as a No. 2 receiver in the majority of leagues with Flacco under center for the Colts.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Leading receiver in Week 9 loss
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Downs caught six of nine targets for 60 yards in Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Vikings.
Downs easily led the Colts in targets, catches and receiving yards, with no teammate posting more than five targets. He has shown strong chemistry with quarterback Joe Flacco, who was inserted as the starter over the benched Anthony Richardson against Minnesota. Downs has 22 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown across Flacco's three starts this season. Indianapolis' passing game will face a tough Week 10 test at home against the Bills.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Returns to practice
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Downs (toe) returned to practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Along with receiver Michael Pittman (back), Downs continues to have his practice reps managed, but his return to Thursday's session has him on track to suit up Sunday against the Vikings. So long as Downs upgrades to full practice participation Thursday and/or Friday, he should approach the Week 9 game without a designation.
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Colts' Josh Downs: WRs to Start
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Downs and Michael Pittman are both worth starting in Week 9 against the Vikings with Joe Flacco back as the starting quarterback. It helps that the Vikings are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but Downs scored at least 15.9 PPR points in all three appearances with Flacco this season. Pittman scored at least 12.5 PPR points in each of those three games, and both should benefit with Flacco throwing them the ball. I like Downs better than Pittman, but both have top-20 upside in all leagues.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Misses another Wednesday session
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Downs (toe) didn't practice Wednesday.
Along with Downs, fellow wideout Michael Pittman (back) was a spectator for practice, but given that neither player was reported to have experienced any setbacks with their respective injuries in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Texans, both receivers' listed absences are presumably a case of workload management. In the Week 8 loss, Downs logged a 70 percent snap share while putting up a 4-109-1 receiving line on nine targets. As long as the wideout is able to fully practice by Friday, he should approach this weekend's game against the Vikings minus an injury designation, just as he did prior to facing Houston. Downs' rest-of-season fantasy outlook should be trending upward, as the Colts named Joe Flacco their starting quarterback going forward while demoting the struggling Anthony Richardson to the No. 2 role.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Leads pass catchers in loss
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Downs secured four of nine targets for 109 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 23-20 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also recorded 13 rushing yards and returned two punts for 12 yards.
Downs led the Colts with a season-high receiving yardage total, and he was the only Indianapolis pass catcher to record more than 16 yards during another highly inefficient performance by Anthony Richardson. Richardson recorded his third touchdown of the season on a dynamic 69-yard catch late in the first quarter, and he had a 25-yard grab in the final period that was initially ruled a touchdown before being overturned on replay. Downs now has at least 66 receiving yards in five of the last six games, affording him plenty of momentum heading into a tough road matchup against the Vikings next Sunday night.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Practices fully Thursday
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Downs (groin/toe) practiced fully Thursday.
Downs and Michael Pittman (back) were deemed non-participants Wednesday, but both players practiced fully a day later, which sets the stage for the duo to be available alongside fellow WR Alec Pierce on Sunday against the Texans. In five games to date overall, Downs has compiled a 28-242-2 line on 38 targets, though in QB Anthony Richardson's return to action in the Colts' Week 7 win over the Dolphins, the 2023 third-rounder caught just one of his three targets for three yards. An uptick in Downs' production this weekend is plausible, though it remains to be seen if he'll be able to match the pace he put up while Joe Flacco worked as the team's signal caller.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Back at practice
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Downs (groin/toe) participated in practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Both Downs and Michael Pittman (back) were deemed non-participants Wednesday, but both were back for Thursday's session, which bodes well for their availability for Sunday's game against the Texans. The Colts' upcoming injury report will reveal Downs' official participation level Thursday.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Misses Wednesday's practice
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Downs didn't practice Wednesday due to groin and toe injuries.
Downs had missed the last two Wednesday practice sessions as he managed a toe issue, and while the wideout is still being listed with the toe injury, he's now also nursing a groin concern as Sunday's game against the Texans approaches. The wideout's status is thus worth tracking closely in the coming days, and his availability for the Week 8 contest could be in jeopardy if he doesn't resume practicing fully by Friday.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Misses Wednesday's practice
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Downs (toe) isn't practicing Wednesday, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Downs and Michael Pittman (back) have missed some practice time due to their respective injuries in recent weeks, and both watched rom the sideline Wednesday. In Week 7, Downs logged limited practices Thursday and Friday after a missed session Wednesday, then proceeded to suit up for the Colts' 16-10 win over the Dolphins. While Downs' participation will be worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's trip to Houston, Anthony Richardson's inaccuracy under center seems to be a bigger threat than the toe injury to Downs' fantasy outlook.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Just one reception in win
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Downs had just one reception for three yards on three targets in Sunday's win over Miami.
Anthony Richardson struggled in the passing game by going 10 of 24 for just 129 yards, leaving little production for Downs and the Indy wideouts. Downs had 16 receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown the prior two weeks with Joe Flacco at quarterback but has had little production with Richardson under center. Downs had just three receptions for 22 yards Week 3 against Chicago in Richardson's other full start with Downs also healthy. Downs looks like a risky fantasy option with Richardson as the starter as a result.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Ready to play Sunday
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Downs (toe) is active for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
Downs was one of three Colts wideouts listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but he, Michael Pittman (back) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) will all be available to give quarterback Anthony Richardson (oblique) his full assortment of weapons in the passing game as he returns from a two-game absence. While Richardson missed Weeks 5 and 6 and most of the Week 3 game with the injury, Downs produced a 24-217-2 receiving line on 30 targets while Joe Flacco presided over the offense. In his lone full game with Richardson this season back in Week 3 against the Bears, Downs was much less productive (three catches for 22 yards on five targets).
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Colts' Josh Downs: On track to play Sunday
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Downs (toe) is listed as questionable but is expected to play Sunday against the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Additionally, Michael Pittman (back) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) are both expected to play after all three Colts wideouts were given designations on Friday's injury report. Anthony Richardson is back under center this week for Indianapolis, capping the floors and ceilings of the wide receiver trio. Downs produced a 3-22-0 line on five targets in his lone game with Richardson under center back in Week 3.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Questionable for Week 7
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Downs (toe) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
Downs was a limited participant both Thursday and Friday after failing to practice in any capacity Wednesday. Fellow Colts wide receivers Michael Pittman (back) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) are listed as questionable as well, but Pierce logged a full practice Friday, and coach Shane Steichen told reporters Friday that he expects Pittman to play while providing no such assurances regarding Downs. Even if Downs suits up Sunday, he'll have a low floor with the Colts switching back to Anthony Richardson under center against a Dolphins defense that has allowed only three passing touchdowns this season.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Returns to practice Thursday
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Downs (toe) is participating in practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Downs and fellow starting wideout Michael Pittman (back) both missed Wednesday's practice and are back on the field Thursday. During Indianapolis' win over the Titans in Week 6, Downs secured seven of his team-high nine targets for 66 yards and a score, while playing a season-high 80 percent of offensive snaps. He entered the game against Tennessee carrying a 'questionable' designation, and it sounds like Downs will again attempt to play through injury Sunday against Miami. Notably, the Colts anticipate getting quarterback Anthony Richardson back in the starting lineup versus the Dolphins.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Paces pass catchers in win
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Downs brought in seven of nine targets for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 20-17 win over the Titans on Sunday. He also returned four punts for 67 yards.
Downs' reception, yardage and target totals all set the pace for the Colts on the afternoon, and the second-year wideout also opened the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown grab to cap off the opening possession of the contest. Downs has at least seven catches and Sunday's yardage total in three consecutive games, and he should finally have a chance to play a full game with Anthony Richardson (oblique) in 2024 during a Week 7 home battle against the Dolphins.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Expected to suit up Week 6
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Downs (toe) is listed as questionable but is likely to play in Sunday's contest against the Titans, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
Downs missed the first two practices of the week due to the toe injury, but he was able to return to a full practice session Friday. Though he'll take a designation into Sunday, the expectation is that the wideout will be cleared when Indianapolis releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Fellow wide receiver Michael Pittman (back) is also listed as questionable, but Holder relays that his chances of suiting up "seem good," and quarterback Anthony Richardson is also looking likely to play despite being listed as questionable after sitting out Week 5. It's worth noting, however, that Downs tallied only three catches for 22 yards with Richardson at the helm Week 3 versus Chicago, while he recorded a 17-151-1 line between the previous two games with Joe Flacco under center for most of Week 4 and all of Week 5. Flacco is likely to return to a backup role Sunday if Richardson is active.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Back at practice
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Downs (toe) participated in Friday's practice, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
Per Holder, Downs appeared to be moving around well, which offers hope that the wideout could play Sunday against the Titans. Friday's upcoming injury report will clarify the game statuses of both Downs and Michael Pittman (back), who also was present for Friday's session, per Holder.
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Colts' Josh Downs: Not spotted Thursday
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Downs (toe) is not present at the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Downs and Michael Pittman (back) are both absent from a second consecutive practice, casting doubt on the availability of both wideouts for Sunday's divisional matchup against the Titans. Friday's practice will represent the final chance for both Downs and Pittman to upgrade their activity levels ahead of Week 6 action. Downs is dealing with a toe injury sustained during Indianapolis' loss to Jacksonville in Week 5, a game in which he secured nine of 12 targets for 69 yards.
