Who Should I Start? Marquise Brown or Josh Downs

Tuesday, September 2, 3:30 PM

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Marquise Brown (ankle) has been a full participant in practice this week and has "looked good out there," according to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star. Rashee Rice is serving a suspension to start the season, and rookie Jalen Royals (knee) is not expected to play in the season opener this Friday in Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers, so Hollywood should be KC's WR2 to open the year next to second-year pass-catcher Xavier Worthy. Brown injured his right ankle early in training camp and was held out of the entire preseason, but he's been practicing for a couple weeks now and should be ready to go in Week 1. The 28-year-old played in only two games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and didn't look great upon his return. At best, consider him a WR4/flex option in Week 1 with Rice suspended.

Wednesday, September 3, 4:09 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hamstring) is not on the team's initial injury report. This is an excellent sign as the wideout was battling a hamstring injury throughout most of August. However, seeing him practice in full on Wednesday should put him in an excellent position to be at full strength in their season opener on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week in case he faces a setback. Last season, despite playing with subpar QB play, Downs flashed immense upside as he averaged 13.1 PPR points per game across 14 contests. During this stretch, Downs tallied 57.4 yards per game and scored five touchdowns. With Daniel Jones slated to serve as the QB1 in Indianapolis, Downs possesses high-end WR3 upside facing the Dolphins.