Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Xavier Worthy

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.

Saturday, August 23, 4:34 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught one pass for nine yards in the 27-29 loss to the Chicago Bears. Worthy was targeted once on the third drive of the game, the last drive that the starters played. Worthy is coming off a strong finish to his rookie season and should be considered a key piece of the offense. The 22-year-old has blazing speed and a full year of experience under his belt to build upon. His stock is also set to rise with the eventual suspension of Rashee Rice, likely coming in the middle of the season. Worthy and Patrick Mahomes developed some chemistry down the stretch last season, and it will be interesting to see how that carries over. The young speedster proved he can be a big play threat or a chain-mover depending on what the team needs from him, and he should have a strong role this season.