Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Jayden Reed

Sunday, January 5, 8:52 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs caught 10 of his 13 targets for 94 yards during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts' passing attack has seen a significant boost ever since quarterback Joe Flacco took over for the injured Anthony Richardson (back), but Downs truly took his productivity to the next level during Sunday's season finale. He finishes the 2024 campaign with 72 catches, 803 yards, and five touchdowns. Each of these three marks represented season-highs, topping the totals he delivered as a rookie last year. Downs has firmly established himself as an appealing 1B option with the Colts, pairing nicely alongside their 1A receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. The UNC product will rank as a high-end WR3 when 2025 fantasy football drafts kick off next summer, and he has even greater appeal in dynasty leagues.

Monday, May 12, 9:11 PM

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst met last week with wide receiver Jayden Reed's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to clarify Reed's status in Green Bay after the team took receivers Matthew Golden (first round) and Savion Williams (third round) in this year's NFL draft, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Packers told Reed it will not affect his status as their top receiver, according to a source. The 25-year-old caught 55 of 75 targets for 857 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts) while carrying the ball 20 times for 163 yards and another score on the ground in his second NFL season. Reed dislocated his shoulder in the playoff loss to the Eagles and disappointed his fantasy managers in the second half of the season, averaging 29.6 receiving yards and 3.6 targets after the Week 10 bye. He's explosive with the ball in his hands, but he's a boom/bust WR3/flex play, at best.