Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or DeMario Douglas

Monday, August 4, 12:51 PM

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs' presence is hard to miss at training camp practices and he "gets targeted a lot, and not just in the short area." Downs appears to be getting separation in practices this summer. Quarterback Daniel Jones wasn't very accurate deep down the field in his time with the New York Giants but if he's more comfortable in the short-to-intermediate areas, Fowler thinks Downs will be a primary target. The Colts' QB situation is far from settled, but Anthony Richardson Sr. is also improving in the middle of the field. The 23-year-old former third-rounder (79th overall) in 2023 out of North Carolina took the next step with a 72-803-5 line in 14 games (eight starts) a year ago. However, a lack of size and the unattractive Colts QB battle hurt Downs' overall fantasy upside as a WR4/flex.

Monday, August 11, 1:10 PM

During the New England Patriots' walkthrough practice on Monday, quarterback Drake Maye has gone to wide receiver DeMario Douglas "a ton," according to Taylor Kyles. Douglas is on the rise on fantasy draft boards this year as one of the most productive and consistent wideouts for the Patriots during training camp. The 24-year-old slot receiver could flourish in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system after he caught 66 of his 87 targets for 621 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games a year ago. The Patriots also have Stefon Diggs coming back from a torn ACL last year in Houston. If healthy, Diggs will be the team's WR1, but it doesn't mean that Douglas can't be fantasy relevant alongside him, mainly in PPR formats. Right now, Douglas is ranked at RotoBaller as the WR69, so fantasy managers won't need to spend much on him.