Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Josh Downs

Saturday, November 8, 10:23 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks will take on an increased workload after Rashid Shaheed was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Cooks is expected to operate as the Saints' No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave for the rest of the season, starting with Sunday's Week 10 contest against the Carolina Panthers. The veteran is likely second or third in the pecking order for targets, working behind Olave and perhaps tight end Juwan Johnson, too. While New Orleans' offense has struggled this season, they've also been playing from behind in most of their games, creating additional volume for the passing game, led by Tyler Shough. An uptick in targets could be enough to generate low-end WR3/flex appeal for Cooks in deeper leagues. He's a solid speculative stash in deep formats, while managers in leagues with 12 or fewer teams can keep an eye on him.

Saturday, November 15, 12:41 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs saw a massive reduction in snaps and targets during his last game against the Atlanta Falcons. In Berlin, Downs played a mere 43 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps, converting two targets into one catch for three yards. The 24-year-old impressed as the WR35 in PPR leagues last season, but he has taken a step backward this year. He ranks outside the top 40 receivers and can no longer be trusted on a week-to-week basis. One reason for Downs' struggles is the increased competition around him. Indy is leaning on the run more than usual given Jonathan Taylor's success, and they've also gotten exceptional contributions from Tyler Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce. This has left Downs as somewhat of the odd man out. We do expect him to command more than two targets per game going forward, but he's not startable for the time being. Managers should leave Downs on the bench when the Colts return from their bye in Week 12.