Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Josh Downs

Sunday, December 21, 9:24 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans continues to be one of the top scoring threats on his own team. In his return from a six-game absence last week, Evans caught six of his 12 targets for 132 yards despite playing on a modest 55% snap share. He should get on the field even more often in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, continuing to raise his ceiling to a very high level. The veteran is averaging five catches, 68 yards, and 13.3 fantasy points per game when healthy this year. This week, he'll face off against a Panthers defense that gave up six catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown to alpha receiver Chris Olave just last week. Jaycee Horn is a borderline elite cornerback in the Panthers' secondary, but if Olave can overcome the challenging matchup, Evans can, too. The 32-year-old continues to rank as a top-10 fantasy receiver in all leagues ahead of Week 16.

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.