Who Should I Start? Jordan Addison or Josh Downs

Friday, December 5, 11:34 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison got off to a hot start after returning from suspension in Week 4. In four games with veteran Carson Wentz at quarterback, Addison recorded 21 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns on 29 targets, ranking as the WR12 with 16.0 PPR points per game. Since Week 9, however, the poor combination of QBs J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer has significantly limited Addison's production, as he's hauled in just 12 of his 33 targets for 139 yards and a touchdown. The 23-year-old wideout has two games with at least 10 targets during that span, and he's caught just seven of them for 84 yards. It's been a frustrating season for Addison and the Vikings' pass-catchers, and it has made it a very tough offense to trust in fantasy football. McCarthy is set to return as the starting quarterback in Week 14 after missing last week due to a concussion. It's a solid matchup for Addison against the Washington Commanders, but he remains a low-end flex play until we see more stability from McCarthy.

Thursday, December 4, 4:07 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hip, knee) was upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday after he was held out on Wednesday with hip and knee injuries. It looks like Downs will be able to play in a crucial divisional game this weekend on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he's become very hard to trust in weekly fantasy football lineups. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of North Carolina has seen a healthy 12 targets the last two games, but he has turned that into only four receptions for 54 yards and no touchdowns while he continues to see fellow wideout Alec Pierce take on a bigger role in the passing attack. Downs is still an integral part of Indy's offense, but he ranks just inside the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points this year on 40 catches, 370 yards, and three touchdowns. He hasn't done much outside of a three-week stretch from Oct. 12 through Nov. 2, where he caught all three of his TDs on the season.