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.

Tuesday, February 25, 9:22 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (shoulder) said on locker cleanout day at the end of last season that he tore his labrum in the wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Reed could be limited during the offseason but should be fine for the start of training camp at the end of July. It was initially reported that the 24-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder, but the good news is that he didn't require offseason surgery. In his second year in the NFL in 2024, Reed looked primed for his first 1,000-yard campaign early on, but he limped to the finish line and ended up with 55 catches on 75 targets for 857 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts). He also added 20 carries for 163 yards and another score. He's settled in as a boom/bust WR3/flex in fantasy, but he could have more upside with Christian Watson (knee) set to miss at least half of 2025.