Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Jayden Reed

Friday, February 27, 4:26 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is coming off the worst NFL season of his young career. Despite Daniel Jones playing at an MVP level early in 2025, Downs was unable to become a consistent contributor in the offense. The 24-year-old had career lows in receptions (58), targets (88), and receiving yards (566) while scoring four touchdowns in 16 games. Downs took a backseat in the Colts' passing attack as Alec Pierce had a breakout season and Tyler Warren established himself as one of the NFL's best tight ends. However, there could be major changes coming to the Colts' offense that favor Downs, with Pierce becoming a free agent and Michael Pittman Jr. a potential cut candidate. This would open up more targets in the offense and create an opportunity for Downs to become a top-3 pass catcher. Even with these possibilities, Downs won't be much more than a late-round dart throw in dynasty leagues, with limited upside in 2026.

Friday, February 27, 8:30 AM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed had his 2025 season thrown off track by injury, as collarbone and foot ailments limited him to just seven games played. Across those contests, the 25-year-old hauled in 19 catches for 207 yards and one touchdown on 22 targets. Before 2025, Reed flashed upside in his first two NFL seasons, recording over 1,900 scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns. However, he's struggled to carve out a high-volume role in the Packers offense, which typically spreads the ball around to multiple pass-catchers. Across 40 career games with Green Bay, Reed is averaging 4.8 targets per contest. Packers wideout Romeo Doubs is set to hit free agency, and start tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) is currently recovering from a torn ACL, so Reed's path to playing time could be clearer in 2026. He will still have to contend with Green Bay wideouts Christian Watson and Matthew Golden for targets, but a fully healthy offseason could put Reed in position for a breakout year. In dynasty formats, Reed could be a solid buy-low candidate coming off his injury-marred 2025 campaign.