Who Should I Start? Drew Lock or Josh Downs

Friday, January 16, 5:55 PM

Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock is "ready to go" for the Divisional Round game this Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers if Sam Darnold (oblique) can't play, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. Darnold popped up on the injury report on Thursday and was limited in practice due to an oblique injury. He is listed as questionable for Saturday's game, but all signs point to Darnold being active this weekend. But for some reason, if Darnold isn't feeling right on Saturday, the Seahawks would roll with Lock and not rookie QB Jalen Milroe. Lock wouldn't be a recommended QB for fantasy playoff lineups if Darnold is inactive. The 29-year-old signal-caller appeared in five games in 2025, going 2-for-3 passing for 15 yards. The Seahawks would most likely lean more on their ground game with running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet if Lock made the start.

Thursday, January 29, 5:39 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs followed up a solid second season in the NFL with his worst yet in Year 3. Downs had career-lows in receptions (58), targets (88), and receiving yards (566) while scoring four touchdowns in 16 games played. The 24-year-old pass-catcher also had a career-low 9.8 yards per catch as he operated as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. Even with quarterback Daniel Jones having a career resurgence before his season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the second half, Downs was unable to take advantage. He never clicked with Jones in the passing attack, and it didn't help that rookie tight end Tyler Warren caught 76 passes for 817 yards. Unless Indy releases Pittman this offseason to give Downs a clearer path to consistent targets, he won't be much more than a late-round dart throw with limited upside in 2026 fantasy drafts.