Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Josh Downs

Sunday, December 21, 9:30 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in five catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in his team's Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Evans has now hauled in 11 receptions for 163 yards across two games since returning from a collarbone injury that sidelined him from Week 8 through Week 14. While injuries have held down the 32-year-old's season-long numbers in 2025, he remains an effective player when he's on the field. Across six games this season, Evans has recorded 25 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns on 53 targets. He looks like the clear-cut number one option in the passing game for Tampa Bay down the stretch of the season, as Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has targeted Evans on 35% of his pass attempts for the last two weeks. Tampa Bay will travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins in Week 17.

Sunday, December 21, 1:00 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs presents as a low-floor fantasy dart throw for his home outing with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Downs hauled in 3-of-5 passes for 13 yards in last weekend's 18-16 loss to the Seahawks, accounting for Philip Rivers' first touchdown pass since Week 17 of the 2020 season. With Rivers under center, Indy went with a short, quick pass attack to cater to the veteran's current capabilities. While it was effective on the field, an equal administering of pass attempts will hurt all involved on the Indianapolis side of the ball. As it stands, Downs is a downright chore to cover in that area of the field, potentially giving him a leg up on teammates Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce in the Colts' attack. Even if that's the case, though, the third-year pro's standing as the third option regarding snap share at the position significantly limits his ceiling. Downs may still hold some modest value in DFS formats, but is tough to trust as RotoBaller's PPR WR62 for Week 16.