Josh Downs Fantasy Stats

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs just hasn't been a huge part of his team's game plan this season. Even after injuries to WRs Alec Pierce (heel) and Keenan Allen, Downs failed to have any big games this season, and has seen just 10 targets in his last two games combined. He wasn't able to eclipse double-digit PPR fantasy points in either. Despite separating well on film and being a reliable short-to-intermediate option in the passing game, Downs has been quiet for fantasy football this year. Frustratingly, he often takes a back seat to WRs like Laquon Treadwell, which can be infuriating for fantasy managers. The underlying efficiency metrics are encouraging, but they don't mean much when Indy just doesn't look the way of its slot receiver enough. Downs is a risky start due to his low volume this year, and there are better options if you're looking for a good WR3/flex for Week 6.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has failed to produce in back-to-back weeks. In the first three games this season, Downs had 14 receptions for 186 yards and 11 targets in Week 3, following wideout Alec Pierce's ankle injury. In Weeks 4 and 5, Downs caught just six of 10 targets for 63 yards, while tight end Tyler Warren and receivers Laquon Treadwell, Keenan Allen, and Ashton Dulin outproduced him. His usage has been solid, with Downs playing 80% of snaps and running 88% of routes. However, Daniel Jones's struggles have made Downs too hard to trust in fantasy lineups. Additionally, Pierce is eligible to return from injured reserve after Week 6. If he does, Downs would become a droppable player upon Pierce's return.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has been separating from defensive coverage very well this season. His problem has just been that he hasn't gotten the ball enough. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones hasn't been a productive passer, and it's dragged the whole offense down. Downs was only targeted four times in Week 4, but that could be simply an impossibly low number for Week 5, as Indy is dealing with yet more injuries to its already thin pass-catching corps. WR Ashton Dulin (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 5, and WR Keenan Allen (groin) is dealing with a groin strain and is questionable to play. It's possible that Jones continues to be stubborn, and simply gives extra targets to WR Darius Slayton (knee), but it would be unwise. Downs is a reliable target, but it's obvious now that Jones prefers to hit his bigger-bodied wideouts. If he decides he wants to get easy completions and move the chains, and perhaps even win the matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, Downs should bounce back.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is hopeful that better days are ahead for him against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. Downs was almost non-existent during last week's win over the Washington Commanders. He hauled in three of his four targets for 16 yards during the overseas victory. Before that game, Downs had posted back-to-back 70-plus yard performances. He'll draw a tough matchup against the Steelers secondary this weekend. It's hard to get excited about Downs as anything more than a flex option for this Week 5 road contest in Pittsburgh.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs appeared set to have a massive game against the Washington Commanders in Week 4. They have a weak pass defense, and have been ineffective at slowing down opposing wideouts this season. But Downs, despite getting open on multiple occasions, was only targeted four times in Week 4. He caught three of those passes for 16 yards. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is partly at fault, as he threw only 143 passing yards. His ineffectiveness this season has held back Downs quite a bit. But even WRs Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell topped Downs' targets and yardage marks. His target share of just under 12 percent was miserable for his fantasy production and concerning for his future. Jones just didn't look his way enough, for whatever reason. There isn't much deep analysis to do on Downs' poor game except that he may not get as many looks as fantasy managers would have hoped even when he's separating well from defensive coverage. He's falling down into WR4 territory, and it's hard to be optimistic about his Week 5 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has settled into a larger role in his team's offense after the injury to Colts WR1, Alec Pierce (heel). Pierce will miss at least three more weeks after re-aggravating the heel injury in the leg he had surgery on in the offseason. Downs was targeted a season-high 11 times in Week 3, which was his most volume in a game since 2024. He caught five of those passes for 77 yards. The Commanders have a soft pass defense, which should be a good matchup for Downs on paper, though they tend to be leakier against outside receivers than those in the slot. His diminutive size keeps him in the slot mostly, but he's been one of the NFL's best separators and has averaged 13.3 yards per catch, a healthy clip considering his best capability is his short-area route running. Downs is in WR3/flex territory for this matchup, and is worth a start in 12-team full-PPR leagues for Week 4.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has become a much bigger part of the passing game over the last two weeks. Downs followed seven catches for 72 yards against Kansas City with five receptions for 77 yards on a team-high 11 targets in Sunday's win over Houston. That gives him 12 catches for 149 yards on 20 targets during that stretch. Alec Pierce (heel) landing on injured reserve has opened more opportunity, but Downs has done his part to earn it. He and Daniel Jones spent considerable time working together during the offseason while Pierce was unavailable, and that connection is starting to show up on Sundays. Downs has also moved from WR24 in RotoBaller's final Week 3 rankings to WR21 in the early Week 4 half-PPR ranks. Indianapolis gets Washington next, and another game without Pierce should leave Downs with plenty of chances to keep this recent run going.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs will be a bigger part of his team's passing offense in Week 3 against the Houston Texans. Colts starting WR Alec Pierce (heel) was placed on injured reserve after aggravating a heel injury in Week 2. With Indy's most productive receiver from last season sidelined, Downs will be tasked with absorbing some of his teammate's vacated targets. Downs has been one of the most efficient receivers in football when on the field. His upside has been limited by a lack of usage in the pass game, playing mainly in the slot, and not seeing much downfield work. Pierce's absence necessitates that some of those things change. The Texans have one of the NFL's better defenses, but they allowed higher-than-average slot WR production in 2025 as a result. Downs and tight end Tyler Warren are the only healthy pass-catchers on the Colts that have shown reasonable upside this season. Expect Downs to eclipse 10 targets this game, and start him as a WR3/flex with upside in fantasy football leagues.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs finally got going in Week 2, catching seven of nine targets for 72 yards in the overtime loss to Kansas City. He had only two catches for 37 yards in the opener, so the jump in involvement was hard to miss. Alec Pierce left Sunday's game in the first quarter after aggravating his surgically repaired heel and is now slated to go on injured reserve. That should leave more work for Downs, even after Indianapolis signed Darius Slayton this week. Keenan Allen and Tyler Warren are still going to command targets, so this is not suddenly a one-man passing game. Downs does have a clearer path than he did a week ago, though. He led the Colts in targets, catches, and receiving yards against the Chiefs and now has nine receptions for 109 yards through two games. RotoBaller has him at WR26 for Week 3 against Houston. With Pierce set to miss time, Downs has a chance to turn one busy night into a much steadier role.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs was targeted nine times in his team's Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He converted those looks into seven catches for 72 yards. It was a refreshing game for him after he only saw four passes go his way in Week 1. He's the primary slot receiver for this team, but doesn't see the field much on 2WR sets, meaning his upside is heavily capped. However, he's likely set to have a bigger role in the near future, as Colts starting WR Alec Pierce (heel) re-injured the heel he struggled with in the offseason. Pierce was likely rushed back into action too soon, meaning Indianapolis could choose to be more cautious with him moving forward. A big role in 2WR sets isn't likely for Downs, though, because he's a diminutive receiver that struggles to block much bigger players on run plays. His ceiling case is more likely as long as Pierce is out, and he could see a high target rate. Downs moves into WR3/flex territory as long as Pierce remains unable to play, and should be rostered in all fantasy leagues. A Week 3 matchup with the Houston Texans might seem tough on paper, but they've struggled the past two weeks. Downs is in good shape to have another nice game.