Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Jayden Reed

Monday, August 25, 8:13 PM

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen expects wide receiver Josh Downs (hamstring) to be back on the practice field next week before the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7. Downs suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 14 and has been held out of practice since, but it sounds like he's improving and should be ready for the start of the regular season in early September. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of North Carolina took a step forward in his second year in Indy in 2024 with 72 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns on 107 targets over 14 games (eight starts). Downs has a limited fantasy ceiling because of his mediocre athleticism, but Daniel Jones winning the starting QB job was good for his value as a WR4/flex flier later in fantasy drafts. He'll be in starting three-wide sets with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce.

Thursday, August 28, 8:11 AM

According to Jason Wilde, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (foot) has been diagnosed with a Jones fracture. While this type of fracture is common in athletics, it typically requires surgery. However, the Packers wideout has "no interest" in this extended timeline and plans to play through the injury. Reed noted that he has been focusing on resting his foot to ensure he is ready for their season opener against the Detroit Lions. Throughout August, the wide receiver has been seen wearing a boot on his left foot. While he has recently returned to practice, fantasy managers should expect the 25-year-old's workload to be closely monitored. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor this situation closely in case of a setback. If he were to miss time, rookie Matthew Golden and tight end Tucker Kraft would likely see the most significant increase in targets.